Digital.

+++ DISCLAIMER +++

Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based historical facts. BEWARE!

 

Some background:

The Supermarine Spitfire became the backbone of RAF Fighter Command, and saw action in the European, Mediterranean, Pacific and the South-East Asian theatres during World War II. Much loved by its pilots, the Spitfire served in several roles, including interceptor, photo-reconnaissance, fighter-bomber, carrier-based fighter, and trainer. It was built in many variants, using several wing configurations. Although the original airframe was designed to be powered by a Rolls-Royce Merlin engine producing 1,030 hp (768 kW), it was adaptable enough to use increasingly powerful Merlin and later Rolls-Royce Griffon engines producing up to 2,035 hp (1,520 kW) and was exported and used by many countries, even after WWII. One of these operators was the Republic of China, which used late fighter versions like the powerful F Mk. 22 and the F Mk. 24. The Mk 24 was the last land-based fighter variant of the Spitfire. Very similar to Mk 22, this variant could also carry rocket projectiles and introduced some minor changes to equipment and installations, e .g. a larger, Spiteful-type tail with a double trim tab.

 

The Chinese Civil War was a civil war in China fought between forces loyal to the government of the Republic of China led by the Kuomintang (KMT) and forces of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

The war began in April 1927, amidst the Northern Expedition and essentially ended when major active battles ceased in 1950. The conflict eventually resulted in two de facto states, the Republic of China (ROC) in Taiwan and the People's Republic of China (PRC) in mainland China, both claiming to be the legitimate government of China.

 

From 1937 the USA started supplying aircraft to the KMT Air Force, and this support became especially clear from 1940, when the legendary „American Volunteer Group“ (later re-formed to become a part of the then US Army Air Force as the 23rd Fighter Group) – equipped with shark mouth-marked P-40s – was sent to China. From 1943 the USAAF also used bases in areas held by the Nationalists for flying B-29-raids against Japan. During the war, the USA supplied numerous P-40s, B-25s, and P-51Bs to the Nationalists, while the Communists also organized their own air force (or, better said, several of them), which flew a plethora of very different - mainly completely obsolete - aircraft.

 

By 1949 the KMT Air Force was a well-developed and equipped service, flying P-47 Thunderbolts, P-51 Mustangs, B-25 Mitchells and even B-24 Liberator bombers, as well as a considerable number of C-46 and C-47 transports.

 

After the Japanese capitulation, the US were concerned about the widespread communist influence, and decided to continue the support of the Nationalists. In 1945, for example, the whole 3rd Amphibian Group of the USMC landed in China in order to help establish a supply system for different Nationalist garrisons.

The Marines eventually pulled out of China by June of 1946, however, and the Nationalists were now to fight alone against the communists which were increasingly supported by the Soviets. In that struggle, neither their relatively powerful air force - which boasted 40 P-47Ds, some 60 P-51C/Ds and 40 each of B-24Js and B-25Cs - could help the Kuomintang, nor the - more or less - clandestine US support, via such „private“ enterprises like „China Nationalist Relief and Rehabilitation Administration Air Transport“ (CNRRAAT), led by US General Claude Chennault. After several bases in China were overrun by the Communists - Chennault was forced to retreat together with nationalist forces to Kumming, and then to Hong Kong.

 

By late 1948, the Communists controlled the whole central and eastern China, while the nationalists held only Beijing and Tientsin - both of which fell in early 1949. The USA restrained from getting directly involved in the conflict again, but continued flying reconnaissance missions along the Chinese borders – and sometimes also behind them.

 

During their final operations against the KMT, in early 1949, the Communists captured some 134 aircraft of the Kuomintang Air Force, and they managed to press quite a number of P-51Ds into service, while the Nationalists managed to evacuate some 110 aircraft (primarily P-51s) to Formosa, which provided the bulk of their fighter strength in the coming years.

 

After being forced to cease CNAF operations over mainland China, in June 1950 the Nationalists had also to retreat also their last ground forces back to Formosa. This pull-back was supported by the USN carrier-battle-group (CVBG) lead by USS Valley Forge (CVA-45), which subsequently also had to take care for the Nationalists not to mount any counter-offensive. With the start of the Korean War, however, the attention of both - the USA and China - was turned away from the situation around Taiwan, and for the next four years there were no additional clashes, while the Nationalists were able to consolidate their regime.

 

In May 1951 the USA have sent a small group of instructors to Taiwan, the task of which was to reorganize the Nationalist armed forces. By 1953, this job was completed so far that the Chinese Nationalist Air Force (CNAF) could be equipped with more modern fighters, including enough Republic F-84G Thunderjets to form one squadron. Simultaneously, it still operated two squadrons of P-47s in the ground attack role and one of Spitfire Mk. 24s and one of P-51s, both of which as fighters. Additional deliveries were to follow soon, replacing the more and more outdated piston-powered aircraft.

 

The CNAF at the time was still in control of the airspace over the Fujian province, eastern Guangdong, and southern Zheijang. Most of the CNAF pilots were experienced from earlier operations during the Civil War and some were also recruited from the CAT, which was extensively involved in clandestine operations over mainland China at the time. They would badly need this experience very soon.

 

Most of this background is based on www.acig.info/CMS/index.php?option=com_content&task=v...

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The kit and its assembly:

Another what-if model, even though a simple one. I must admit that I am not a big fan of the Spitfire (as well as the Bf 109), so I prefer other types, but the late Griffon-powered versions got something beefy about them, so I gave in and did this one.

 

This whif was inspired by a fantasy side profile from whatifmodelers.com, created by fellow user Darth Panda who did a range of several late Spitfires in China Nationalist/Taiwanese markings – obviously inspired by a sheet from Tiger Wing Decals (for P-51s). Very plausible, though, and this is just my interpretation of that nice idea – and another contribution to the 2013 Asiarama Group Build of the forum.

 

The basis for the build is the excellent Special Hobby Spitfire F Mk. 24 kit, which actually contains a vast collection of optional parts that allow LOTS of land- and sea-based late Spitfires (as well as fictional combinations…) to be built. The parts are crisply molded, fit is very good and surface details are just great – the kit almost falls together. The thing is pricy, but you get good value and lots of spares for future projects.

 

The kit was built almost 100% OOB as a Mk. 24, I just modified the propeller with a metal axis so that it can spin freely (for the pictures). The drop tank comes from the kit, as well as the (empty) rocket attachment points under the wings.

  

Painting and markings:

This whif was supposed to have a ‘Flying Tigers’ aura around it, so I settled for a simple Olive Drab/Neutral Grey livery, which was carried e. g. by P-47s. On a Spitfire this looks a bit odd, but that’s what makes the model interesting, as it combines a well-known and simple paint scheme with something unusual for it.

To add some excitement I decided to apply a worn and flaked look, with a primer coat in acrylic Aluminum (Revell) and some grinded salt as mask before the final colors were applied. Later the salt was rubbed away, revealing the bare metal in small clusters – the effect is good, even though the technique is rather dedicated to larger scale military vehicles.

 

The colors are ‘Olive Drab ANA 613’ from Modelmaster (#2050) and Humbrol 87 (Steel Grey) – the latter is lighter than true ‘Neutral Grey’ (e. g. FS 36173, Humbrol 176), which looks IMHO a bit dark on a 1:72 scale model. After a black ink wash the whole kit received additional weathering through dry-brushing, esp. on the upper surfaces in order to simulate sun-bleached paint. Tones used here are ‘Faded Olive Drab’ and FS 34087 from Modelmaster (#2051 and 1711), while Humbrol 128 (FS 36320) was used for the lower surfaces.

 

All interior surfaces were painted in Chromate Yellow primer – initially only as a color contrast to the green/grey livery, but later I found pics that suggest that such a color was actually used on/in the Mk. 22/24? Anyway it’s just for the look.

 

The decals were puzzled together. Roundels actually belong to a RoCAF F-100 (from a MicroScale sheet), the striped rudder was improvised and the tactical codes come from the scrap box. The shark mouth actually belongs to a Russian MiG-29, but makes a perfect detail on this Spitfire and suits the elegant aircraft very well! ;)

  

In the end, a simple project without much need for body work, and the worn look turned out very well!

  

The USN TACDEMO Hornet in carrier configuration.

AKA "The Brain Washer"

 

Bax Toh'Rhee had found a true mentor and friend in Doctor Kehl'Rhan, or at least he thought so. Going so far as to assist Bax in a surgery to remove and replace his own hand with a prototype that allowed him to feel through sensor clusters in the prosthetic.

 

When Kehl'Rhan asked Bax to accompany him to a new position at an outpost near the outer rim, it seemed like a great adventure as well as an opportunity. Unfortunately for Bax, the Doctor had a different set of experiments in mind for the young man. Almost immediately following their arrival at the outpost, Kehl'Rhan drugged Bax and locked him away in a secret lab and over the course of several months he conducted experiments on him that, in the end, amounted to a complete dissection. A slow, torturous living autopsy.

 

The Doctor used Bax's technological advances to keep his head alive and functioning as a CPU that processed all the data and completely ran the lab. Unfortunately for Bax, the Doctor had also been conducting other experiments that drew the attention of the authorities and he was arrested, tried and executed. The offsite lab was not discovered on the doctor's arrest and Bax remained, disembodied and trapped for 42 years.

 

During that time, Bax was able to use the robotics of the lab to construct a robotic body and even take control of it remotely. Eventually, the lab was discovered by a relative of Kehl'Rhan who inherited the madman's off the book properties and he was horrified by the revelation. Not allowing the opportunity to regain his freedom escape, Bax commanded his robot body to apprehend his captor's relative and forced them to assist in the surgical attachment of Bax's head and his new body. After the surgery, Bax killed his now savior in a fit of uncontrolled rage and made his escape.

 

Feeling the need to flee the planet before his actions were discovered, he made his way to a testing facility he had toured when he first arrived and happened on a starfighter that required only minor modifications to allow him to operate it using a neural interface. Overnight, he made his initial adjustments and integrated himself to the fighter, making a hasty escape. Of course, his departure was detected, but the security forces that were scrambled could not match the fighter's speed or maneuverability and the Evader Class easily lived up to its name.

 

TO BE CONTINUED... Maybe.

 

Built for the first round of FBTB's MOC Madness Alphabet Fighters 2013

 

Brought to you by the letter E.

extra unit...

 

Bus No: 9505

Year released: 2009

Capacity: 45; 2x2 seating configuration

Route: Manila/Avenida-Alaminos via Dau/SCTEX-Concepcion/Capas/Tarlac/Sta. Ignacia/Camiling/Bayambang/Basista/Urbiztondo/Mangatarem/Socony

Body: Hyundai Motors Korea

Model: 2009 Hyundai AeroSpace LD Series

Engine: Hyundai D6AZ

Fare: Airconditioned

Aircon System: Hyundai overhead a/c

Transmission System: M/T

Plate No.: CXM-161

Taken on: December 24, 2010

Location: Romulo Highway, Brgy. Malacampa, Camiling, Tarlac

V20 (1986–1990)

 

The second generation, V20 series Camry went on sale during August 1986 in Japan. As with the previous series, there was again a parallel Vista model for the home market that Toyota released simultaneously. V20 Camry and Vista sedans continued with the four-door sedan configuration. For overseas markets, Toyota issued a station wagon for the first time. The Vista also launched with a four-door pillared hardtop sedan with unique body panels all-round in lieu of the liftback offered with the previous car—a body extended to the Camry in August 1988. To attain a sportier appearance with lower and wider proportions, Toyota reduced the height of the hardtop by 25 millimeters (1 in) over the sedan. Not intended for export, this hardtop body with few changes would later form the basis of the upscale but hastily conceived Lexus ES 250 produced for North American customers from June 1989 through to 1991.

 

V20 originated from a time at Toyota when considerable cost and attention to detail was engineered into its cars such as high materials and build quality to transcend the competition. This corporate strategy is analogous to that employed by Mercedes-Benz around the same time, who like Toyota, were known for reliable, over-engineered automobiles of unadulterated quality. As a result, commentators likened the V20 to a cheaper, Japanese facsimile of a Mercedes. Sedans retained the V10's rear quarter glass; however, the styling is less angular than before. To appease export customers, styling lost some of its Japanese legacy in its transition to a more Americanized design, with a softer and sleeker silhouette that references the Audi 100. The Audi's influence also extends to aerodynamic performance, now at Cd=0.34 for the sedan. V20 also features headlamps and a grille that are sculptured into a gently curved hood that partially conceal the windscreen wipers, wind splitters up the ends of the windscreen, near-flush glass, and a third door seal to close the gap between the body and window frames. Body dimensions were largely unchanged from the previous model, including an identical wheelbase, although length increases 100 millimeters (3.9 in). Basic sub-skin hardware is also closely related, including the platform and the fully independent suspension with a strut and a coil spring at each corner and an anti-roll bar at each end.

 

All engines now use fuel injection exclusively and were common to Camry and Vista. Entry-level customers were offered the carry-over "Ci" 1.8-liter 1S-i (designated 1S-iLU in the V10) inline-four with five-speed manual or an automatic with four gears. Stepping up from this were the new 3S-FE and GT high-performance 3S-GE (designated 3S-GELU for V10s) 2.0-liter twin-cam four-cylinder cars. Turbo-diesel models were again limited to the 2C-T motor displacing 2.0 liters (labeled 2C-TL for V10s). Transmission were either a five-speed manual or an electronically controlled automatic with four gears.

 

North American market V20 series Camry sedan and wagons came to the market in late 1986 for the 1987 model year. Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky, the first wholly owned Toyota plant in the US, began producing the Camry in May 1988. The country of manufacture can be found by looking at the first character of the VIN; a Camry manufactured in Japan has a VIN starting with "J", a model made in the US starts with "4" and a model made in Australia starts with "6". Three trim levels of the V20 Camry were made: the unbadged base model, the DX, and the LE. In 1991, anti-lock brakes became optional on the V6, LE, and station wagon models. The four-wheel-drive system dubbed All-Trac was introduced for 1988 and a 2.5-liter V6 engine was added as an option. The V6 was fuel-injected with 24 valves, and dual overhead camshafts.

 

Toyota Australia released the second generation Camry in April 1987. Local manufacture of the V20 had begun earlier in February at its recently acquired Australian Motor Industries facility at Port Melbourne, Victoria as a replacement for the Corona T140 and the Camry before it. Four-cylinder engine production and panel-stamping was undertaken at Toyota's Altona, Victoria plant, all part of a model localization and factory upgrades investment totalling A$115 million. In fact, it was the first Camry made outside of Japan, and is notable for being the most localized Toyota Australia product thus far with a lead time of less than six months, the shortest yet between start of Japanese and Australian manufacture.

 

[Text taken from Wikipedia]

 

The model shown here is the Australian base-spec wagon that I owned during 2002-2007. Though the Wikipedia article makes a lot of statements about quality, not all parts of the car exhibited the same level of care. The suspension bushes, for instance, seemed to wear very quickly. Also, the interior featured some less than exciting grey plastics.

 

This Lego model miniland-scale Toyota SV20 Camry wagon has been created for Flickr LUGNuts' 85th Build Challenge, - "Like, Totally 80's", - featuring vehicles created during the decade of the 1980s.

Configuration Setting

- Program Auto

- spot metering

- AFS

　by handheld

This is the full touring configuration for the Bombadil. Nitto lugged stem, 9cm. Painted to almost perfectly match. the orange powdercoat of the frameset. Nitto Noodle 46sm bars. SRAM brakelevers. Newbaums burgundy cloth tape. Two coats of amber shellac. Twined.

Ben's Creek Junction. The configuration here is a wye...mainline off to the right, branch line off to the left. In the distance is an old concrete foundation with two sets of steps. Likely an old rail road building from the days when train control was not so centralized.

 

The branch line heads up Ben's Creek for a few miles then punches through the mountain via a 4,000 foot tunnel coming out at Gilbert Creek. From there it hugs the mountain up high getting down to almost river level just beyond Gilbert and runs up the Guyandotte River to Justice...from there it leaves Justice for a little way. At Hanover it goes through another mountain via a 6,000 foot tunnel to rejoin the Guyandotte River...then it's on to Pineville and Mullens...there is another wye at Mullens.

 

Behind my back 1.5 miles is the Glen Alum Tunnel.

PictionID:41566318 - Title:Seversky P-35 Photo of a SEV-3XAR (X-2106) in land plane configuration - Catalog:15_002868 - Filename:15_002868.TIF - Image from the Charles Daniels Photo Collection album "Seversky, Republic and P-47"----PLEASE TAG this image with any information you know about it, so that we can permanently store this data with the original image file in our Digital Asset Management System.----SOURCE INSTITUTION: San Diego Air and Space Museum Archive

Saturday 18th October 2008

 

KEL255 Configuration

 

The GH-28A 8-tube general-purpose micro missile launchers are capable of firing 3 volleys....

 

Missile pods! Photograph dedicated to Kelvin255. The VF-0A has only four underwing hardpoints (two per wing), but I added another two to beef it up.

 

I used the extra missile pods that came with the QF-2200D-A Ghost Booster here.

 

From the series Macross Zero (the prequel to Macross), the VF-0A is the direct ancestor to the VF-1 Valkyrie. I have not yet seen Macross Zero, but this collectible was too good pass by - so I got it. Macross Zero is set in the year 2008.

 

VF-0A "Pheonix" (Shin Kudo)

Mode: Fighter Jet Mode (Standard Configuration)

Scale: 1/60

Manufactured: Yamato

Series: Macross Zero

Released: ? (acquired Late September 2008)

Vehicle Stats: see Macross Mecha Manual.

 

--

This photograph is part of my Robotech and VF-0A sets on Flickr.

--

Image Copyright © 2008-present Joriel Jimenez

Please use with permission and full attribution

Gorgeous redhead model goddess modeling the new Sony AR7 ! With the black 45surf surfboard and some light beach reding! Swimsuit Bikini Model Goddess Shooting Stills (Sony AR7 with 35mm F/2.8 Carl Zeiss Lens) & Video (Sony NEX6) at the same time with the 45surfer philosophy bracket! I use it on every shoot, as there is so much beauty in the world and so little time! :) Writing a book on it! :)

 

The awesome news is that 2014 will bring us all the 45SURF goddesses and pro surfers Kelly Slater & Alana Blanchard in 4K Motion thanks to the new Sony 4K Handycam FDR-AX100 announced this week at the CES! 4K video is gonna rock:

 

45surfer.wordpress.com/

 

As I’m headed down to Australia to shoot the men’s and women’s Pro Surfing Quicksilver Pro, Roxy Pro, and Ripcurl Pro, I’m psyched that Sony will be releasing their new 4K camera–the Sony 4K Handycam FDR-AX100! The Sony 4K FDR-AX100 will be replacing the 1080p camcorders and NEX cameras in the below configurations, shooting 4K vidoe alongside my Sony A7r and Nikon D800E’s which I use for stills:

 

45surfer.wordpress.com/2014/01/07/extreme-stills-motion-s...

 

The clear image on the new Sony 4K camcorder rocks, as it will be at 18x at 4K resolution or 24x at HD resolution. Now as I will be shooting stills with the the new Tamron 150-600mm (Tamron SP 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Di VC USD Lens for Nikon) on my Nikon D800E or Sony A7r, the zoom will be approximately 20x for the stills, so 4K video at 18x zoom is ideal!

 

Here's some video shot at the same time as stills using a Sony A7R for the video camera--in a couple months this will be 4K video as soon as they ship the Sony 4K Handycam FDR-AX100 to me:

 

www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiOMrZIEzg8

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7gq_gCk0jE

 

Shot with the Nikon D800E and Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II AF-S Nikkor Zoom Lens with the B W 77mm XS-Pro Kaesemann Circular Polarizer with Multi-Resistant Nano Coating filter. I always, always shoot with a CP filter--even on cloudy days!

 

Enjoy the pretty goddesses and all the best on your epic hero's journey!

 

Modeling the black & gold & American flag "Gold 45 Revolver" Gold'N'Virtue swimsuits with the main equation to Moving Dimensions Theory on the swimsuits: dx4/dt=ic. Yes I have a Ph.D. in physics! :) You can read more about my research and Hero's Journey Physics here:

herosjourneyphysics.wordpress.com/ MDT PROOF#2: Einstein (1912 Man. on Rel.) and Minkowski wrote x4=ict. Ergo dx4/dt=ic--the foundational equation of all time and motion which is on all the shirts and swimsuits. Every photon that hits my Nikon D800e's sensor does it by surfing the fourth expanding dimension, which is moving at c relative to the three spatial dimensions, or dx4/dt=ic!

 

The goddess was tall, thin, fit, and gorgeous beach goddesses! A blond and a brunette with long, long silky hair! Poseidon would approve! If he were shooting them, he'd want to capture simultaneous photographic stills and video at the same time too.

 

Best on your hero's journey from Johnny Ranger McCoy! :)

 

Falling in love with the full frame 36 megapixel e mount Sony A7R! The models make pretty photographers. :)

 

Nikon D800E photos shot in RAW as I always shoot raw!

Love the configuration of the hills...

I'm gonna break my own rule and use a shitty photo filter for the first time.

I cut down one bent up front Honjo fender to make two aero mini-fenders.

Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin [nb 1] (9 March 1934 – 27 March 1968) was a Soviet Air Forces pilot and cosmonaut who became the first human to journey into outer space, achieving a major milestone in the Space Race; his capsule Vostok 1 completed one orbit of Earth on 12 April 1961. Gagarin became an international celebrity and was awarded many medals and titles, including Hero of the Soviet Union, his nation's highest honour.

 

Vostok 1 was Gagarin's only spaceflight but he served as the backup crew to the Soyuz 1 mission, which ended in a fatal crash, killing his friend and fellow cosmonaut Vladimir Komarov. Gagarin later served as the deputy training director of the Cosmonaut Training Centre, which was subsequently named after him. He was elected as a deputy to the Soviet of the Union in 1962 and then to the Soviet of Nationalities, respectively the lower and upper chambers of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union. Gagarin died in 1968 when the MiG-15 training jet he was piloting with his flight instructor Vladimir Seryogin crashed near the town of Kirzhach.

Contents

 

1 Early life and education

2 Soviet Air Force service

3 Soviet space program

3.1 Selection and training

3.2 Vostok 1

4 After the Vostok 1 flight

5 Personal life

6 Death

7 Awards and honours

7.1 Medals and orders of merit

7.2 Tributes

7.3 Statues and monuments

7.4 50th anniversary

8 See also

9 Notes

10 References

10.1 Sources

11 Further reading

12 External links

 

Early life and education

 

Yuri Gagarin was born 9 March 1934 in the village of Klushino,[1] near Gzhatsk (renamed Gagarin in 1968 after his death).[2] His parents worked on a collective farm:[3] Alexey Ivanovich Gagarin as a carpenter and Anna Timofeyevna Gagarina as a dairy farmer.[nb 2][4] Yuri was the third of four children: his siblings were brothers Valentin (1924) and Boris (1936), and sister Zoya (1927).[5][6]

 

Like millions of Soviet Union citizens, the Gagarin family suffered during the Nazi occupation of Russia during World War II. Klushino was occupied in November 1941 during the German advance on Moscow and a German officer took over the Gagarin residence. The family were allowed to build a mud hut approximately 3 by 3 metres (10 by 10 ft) inside on the land behind their house, where they spent twenty-one months until the end of the occupation.[7] His two older siblings were deported by the Germans to Poland for slave labour in 1943 and did not return until after the war in 1945.[5][8] In 1946, the family moved to Gzhatsk, where Gagarin continued his secondary education.[7]

 

In 1950, aged 16, Gagarin began an apprenticeship as a foundryman at the Lyubertsy steel plant near Moscow,[5][8] and enrolled at a local "young workers" school for seventh-grade evening classes.[9] After graduating in 1951 from both the seventh grade and the vocational school with honours in mouldmaking and foundry work,[9] he was selected for further training at the Saratov Industrial Technical School, where he studied tractors.[5][8][10] While in Saratov, Gagarin volunteered at a local flying club for weekend training as a Soviet air cadet, where he trained to fly a biplane, and later a Yak-18.[8][10] He earned extra money as a part-time dock labourer on the Volga River.[7]

Soviet Air Force service

 

In 1955, Gagarin was accepted to the 1st Chkalovsky Higher Air Force Pilots School, a flight school in Orenburg.[11][12] He initially began training on the Yak-18 already familiar to him and later graduated to training on the MiG-15 in February 1956.[11] Gagarin twice struggled to land the two-seater trainer aircraft, and risked dismissal from pilot training. However, the commander of the regiment decided to give him another chance at landing. Gagarin's flight instructor gave him a cushion to sit on, which improved his view from the cockpit, and he landed successfully. Having completed his evaluation in a trainer aircraft,[13] Gagarin began flying solo in 1957.[5]

 

On 5 November 1957, Gagarin was commissioned a lieutenant in the Soviet Air Forces having accumulated 166 hours and 47 minutes of flight time. He graduated from flight school the next day and was posted to the Luostari airbase close to the Norwegian border in Murmansk Oblast for a two-year assignment with the Northern Fleet.[14] On 7 July 1959, he was rated Military Pilot 3rd Class.[15] After expressing interest in space exploration following the launch of Luna 3 on 6 October 1959, his recommendation to the Soviet space program was endorsed and forward by Lieutenant Colonel Babushkin.[14][16] By this point, he had accumulated 265 hours of flight time.[14] Gagarin was promoted to the rank of senior lieutenant on 6 November 1959,[15] three weeks after he was interviewed by a medical commission for qualification to the space program.[14]

Soviet space program

Selection and training

See also: Vostok programme

Vostok I capsule on display at the RKK Energiya museum

 

Gagarin's selection for the Vostok programme was overseen by the Central Flight Medical Commission led by Major General Konstantin Fyodorovich Borodin of the Soviet Army Medical Service. He underwent physical and psychological testing conducted at Central Aviation Scientific-Research Hospital, in Moscow, commanded by Colonel A.S. Usanov, a member of the commission. The commission also included Colonel Yevgeniy Anatoliyevich Karpov, who later commanded the training centre, Colonel Vladimir Ivanovich Yazdovskiy, the head physician for Gagarin's flight, and Major-General Aleksandr Nikolayevich Babiychuk, a physician flag officer on the Soviet Air Force General Staff to the Commander in Chief of the Air Force.[17]

 

From a pool of 154 qualified pilots short-listed by their Air Force units, the military physicians chose 29 cosmonaut candidates, of which 20 were approved by the Credential Committee of the Soviet Government. The first twelve including Gagarin were approved on 7 March 1960 and eight more were added in a series of subsequent orders issued until June.[18] Gagarin began training at the Khodynka Airfield in downtown Moscow on 15 March 1960. The training regiment involved vigorous and repetitive physical exercises which Alexei Leonov, a member of the initial group of twelve, described as akin to training for the Olympics Games.[19] In April 1960, they began parachute training in Saratov Oblast and each completed about 40 to 50 jumps from both low and high altitude, and over land and water.[20]

 

Gagarin was a candidate favoured by his peers. When they were asked to vote anonymously for a candidate besides themselves they would like to be the first to fly, all but three chose Gagarin.[21] One of these candidates, Yevgeny Khrunov, believed that Gagarin was very focused and was demanding of himself and others when necessary.[22] On 30 May 1960, Gagarin was further selected for an accelerated training group, known as the Vanguard Six or Sochi Six,[23][nb 3] from which the first cosmonauts of the Vostok programme would be chosen. The other members of the group were Anatoliy Kartashov, Andriyan Nikolayev, Pavel Popovich, German Titov, and Valentin Varlamov. However, Kartashov and Varlamov were injured and replaced by Khrunov and Grigoriy Nelyubov.[25]

 

As several of the candidates selected for the program including Gagarin did not have higher education degrees, they were enrolled into a correspondence course program at Zhukovsky Air Force Engineering Academy. Gagarin enrolled in the program in September 1960 and did not earn his specialist diploma until early 1968.[26][27] Gagarin was also subjected to experiments that were designed to test physical and psychological endurance including oxygen starvation tests in which the cosmonauts were locked in an isolation chamber and the air slowly pumped out. He also trained for the upcoming flight by experiencing g-forces in a centrifuge.[28][25] Psychological tests included placing the candidates in an anechoic chamber in complete isolation; Gagarin was in the chamber on July 26 – August 5.[29][20] In August 1960, a Soviet Air Force doctor evaluated his personality as follows:

 

Modest; embarrasses when his humor gets a little too racy; high degree of intellectual development evident in Yuriy; fantastic memory; distinguishes himself from his colleagues by his sharp and far-ranging sense of attention to his surroundings; a well-developed imagination; quick reactions; persevering, prepares himself painstakingly for his activities and training exercises, handles celestial mechanics and mathematical formulae with ease as well as excels in higher mathematics; does not feel constrained when he has to defend his point of view if he considers himself right; appears that he understands life better than a lot of his friends.[21]

 

The Vanguard Six were given the title of pilot-cosmonaut in January 1961[25] and entered a two-day examination conducted by a special interdepartmental commission led Lieutenant-General Nikolai Kamanin, tasked with ranking of the candidates based on their mission readiness for the first human Vostok mission. On 17 January 1961, they were tested in a simulator at the M. M. Gromov Flight-Research Institute on a full-size mockup of the Vostok capsule. Gagarin, Nikolayev, Popovich, and Titov all received excellent marks on the first day of testing in which they were required to describe the various phases of the mission followed by questions from commission.[22] On the second day, they were given a written examination following which the special commission ranked Gagarin as the best candidate the first mission. He and the next two highest-ranked cosmonauts, Titov and Nelyubov, were sent to Tyuratam for final preparations.[22] Gagarin and Titov were selected to train in the flight-ready spacecraft on 7 April 1961. Historian Asif Siddiqi writes of the final selection:[30]

 

In the end, at the State Commission meeting on April 8, Kamanin stood up and formally nominated Gagarin as the primary pilot and Titov as his backup. Without much discussion, the commission approved the proposal and moved on to other last-minute logistical issues. It was assumed that in the event Gagarin developed health problems prior to liftoff, Titov would take his place, with Nelyubov acting as his backup.

 

Vostok 1

Main article: Vostok 1

 

Poyekhali!

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Gagarin's voice

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On 12 April 1961, 6:07 am UTC, the Vostok 3KA-3 (Vostok 1) spacecraft was launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome. Aboard was Gagarin, the first human to travel into space, using the call sign Kedr (Russian: Кедр, Siberian pine or Cedar).[31] The radio communication between the launch control room and Gagarin included the following dialogue at the moment of rocket launch:

 

Korolev: Preliminary stage ... intermediate... main... LIFT-OFF! We wish you a good flight. Everything's all right.

 

Gagarin: Off we go! Goodbye, until [we meet] soon, dear friends.[32][33]

 

Gagarin's farewell to Korolev using the informal phrase Poyekhali! (Russian: Поехали!)[nb 4] later became a popular expression in the Eastern Bloc that was used to refer to the beginning of the Space Age.[35][36] The five first-stage engines fired until the first separation event, when the four side-boosters fell away, leaving the core engine. The core stage then separated while the rocket was in a suborbital trajectory, and the upper stage carried it to orbit. Once the upper stage finished firing, it separated from the spacecraft, which orbited for 108 minutes before returning to Earth in Kazakhstan.[37] Gagarin became the first to orbit the Earth.[31]

File:1961-04-19 First Pictures-Yuri Gagarin-selection.ogvPlay media

An April 1961 newsreel of Gagarin arriving in Moscow to be greeted by First Secretary Nikita Khrushchev.

 

"The feeling of weightlessness was somewhat unfamiliar compared with Earth conditions. Here, you feel as if you were hanging in a horizontal position in straps. You feel as if you are suspended", Gagarin wrote in his post-flight report.[38] He also wrote in his autobiography released the same year that he sang the tune "The Motherland Hears, The Motherland Knows" (Russian: "Родина слышит, Родина знает") during re-entry.[39] Gagarin was qualified a Military Pilot 1st Class and promoted to the rank of major in a special order given during his flight.[15][39]

 

At about 23,000 feet (7,000 m), Gagarin ejected from the descending capsule as planned and landed using a parachute. There were concerns Gagarin's spaceflight record would not be certified by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI), the world governing body for setting standards and keeping records in the field, which at the time required that the pilot land with the craft.[40] Gagarin and Soviet officials initially refused to admit that he had not landed with his spacecraft,[41] an omission which became apparent after Titov's subsequent flight on Vostok 2 four months later. Gagarin's spaceflight records were nonetheless certified and again reaffirmed by the FAI, which revised it rules, and acknowledge that the crucial steps of the safe launch, orbit, and return of the pilot had been accomplished. Gagarin continues to be internationally recognised as the first human in space and first to orbit the Earth.[42]

After the Vostok 1 flight

Gagarin in Warsaw, 1961

 

Gagarin's flight was a triumph for the Soviet space program and he became a national hero of the Soviet Union and Eastern Bloc, as well as a worldwide celebrity. Newspapers around the globe published his biography and details of his flight. He was escorted in a long motorcade of high-ranking officials through the streets of Moscow to the Kremlin where, in a lavish ceremony, Nikita Khrushchev awarded him the title Hero of the Soviet Union. Other cities in the Soviet Union also held mass demonstrations, the scale of which were second only to World War II Victory Parades.[43]

Gagarin and Valentina Tereshkova (seated to his right) sign autographs in 1964

 

Gagarin gained a reputation as an adept public figure and was noted for his charismatic smile.[44][45][46] On 15 April 1961, accompanied by official from the Soviet Academy of Sciences, he answered questions at a press conference in Moscow reportedly attended by 1,000 reporters.[47] Gagarin visited the United Kingdom three months after the Vostok 1 mission, going to London and Manchester.[48][44] While in Manchester, despite heavy rain, he refused an umbrella, insisted that the roof of the convertible car he was riding in remain open, and stood so the cheering crowds could see him.[44][49] Gagarin toured widely abroad, accepting the invitation of about 30 countries.[50] In just the first four months, he also went to Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, Finland, Hungary, and Iceland.[51]

 

In 1962, Gagarin began serving as a deputy to the Soviet of the Union,[52] and was elected to the Central Committee of the Young Communist League. He later returned to Star City, the cosmonaut facility, where he spent several years working on designs for a reusable spacecraft. He became a lieutenant colonel of the Soviet Air Forces on 12 June 1962, and received the rank of colonel on 6 November 1963.[15] On 20 December 1963, Gagarin became Deputy Training Director of the Star City cosmonaut training base.[53] Soviet officials, including cosmonaut overseerer Nikolai Kamanin, tried to keep Gagarin away from any flights, being worried about losing their hero in an accident noting that he was "too dear to mankind to risk his life for the sake of an ordinary space flight".[54] Kamanin was also concerned by Gagarin's drinking and believed the sudden rise to fame had taken its toll on the cosmonaut. While acquaintances say Gagarin had been a "sensible drinker", his touring schedule placed him in social situations in which he was increasingly expected to drink alcohol.[5][10]

Gagarin with U.S. Vice President Hubert Humphrey, French Prime Minister Georges Pompidou and the Gemini 4 astronauts at the 1965 Paris Air Show

 

Two years later, he was re-elected as a deputy of the Soviet Union but this time to the Soviet of Nationalities, the upper chamber of legislature.[52] The following year, he began to re-qualify as a fighter pilot[55] and was backup pilot for his friend Vladimir Komarov on the Soyuz 1 flight after five years without piloting duty. Kamanin had opposed Gagarin's reassignment to cosmonaut training; he had gained weight and his flying skills had deteriorated. Despite this, he remained a strong contender for Soyuz 1 until he was replaced by Komarov in April 1966 and reassigned to Soyuz 3.[56]

 

The Soyuz 1 launch was rushed due to implicit political pressures[57] and despite Gagarin's protests that additional safety precautions were necessary.[58] Gagarin accompanied Komarov to the rocket before launch and relayed instructions to Komarov from ground control following multiple system failures aboard the spacecraft.[59] Despite their best efforts, Soyuz 1 crash landed after its parachutes failed to open, killing Komarov instantly.[60] After the Soyuz 1 crash, Gagarin was permanently banned from training for and participating in further spaceflights.[61] He was also grounded from flying aircraft solo, a demotion he worked hard to lift. He was temporarily relieved of duties to focus on academics with the promise that he would be able to resume flight training.[62] On 17 February 1968, Gagarin successfully defended his aerospace engineering thesis on the subject of spaceplane aerodynamic configuration and graduated cum laude from Zhukovsky Air Force Engineering Academy.[27][63][62]

Personal life

Gagarin and his wife Valentina clapping at a concert in Moscow in 1964.

Gagarin and his wife Valentina at a concert in Moscow in 1964.

 

Gagarin was a keen sportsman and fond of ice hockey as a goal keeper.[64] He was also a basketball fan and coached the Saratov Industrial Technical School team, as well as being a referee.[65]

 

In 1957, while a cadet in flight school, Gagarin met Valentina Goryacheva at the May Day celebrations at the Red Square in Moscow.[66] She was a medical technician who graduated from Orenburg Medical School.[8][10] They were married on 7 November 1957,[8] the same day Gagarin graduated from Orenburg, and they had two daughters.[67][68] Yelena Yurievna Gagarina, born 1959,[68] is an art historian who has worked as the director-general of the Moscow Kremlin Museums since 2001;[69][70] and Galina Yurievna Gagarina, born 1961,[68] is a professor of economics and the department chair at Plekhanov Russian University of Economics in Moscow.[69][71] Following his rise to fame, at a Black Sea resort in September 1961, he was reportedly caught by his wife during a liaison with a nurse who had aided him after a boating incident. He attempted to escape through a window and jumped off a second floor balcony. The resulting injury left a permanent scar above his left eyebrow.[5][10]

Death

Plaque on a brick wall with inscription: Юрий Алексеевич Гагарин, 1934-03-09–1968-03-27

Plaque indicating Gagarin's interment in the Kremlin Wall

 

On 27 March 1968, while on a routine training flight from Chkalovsky Air Base, Gagarin and flight instructor Vladimir Seryogin died when their MiG-15UTI crashed near the town of Kirzhach. The bodies of Gagarin and Seryogin were cremated and their ashes were buried in the walls of the Kremlin.[72] Wrapped in secrecy, the cause of the crash that killed Gagarin is uncertain and became the subject of several theories.[73][74] At least three investigations into the crash were conducted separately by the Air Force, official government commissions, and the KGB.[75][76] According to a biography of Gagarin by Jamie Doran and Piers Bizony, Starman: The Truth Behind the Legend of Yuri Gagarin, the KGB worked "not just alongside the Air Force and the official commission members but against them."[75]

 

The KGB's report declassified in March 2003 dismissed various conspiracy theories and instead indicated the actions of airbase personnel contributed to the crash. The report states that an air-traffic controller provided Gagarin with outdated weather information and that by the time of his flight, conditions had deteriorated significantly. Ground crew also left external fuel tanks attached to the aircraft. Gagarin's planned flight activities needed clear weather and no outboard tanks. The investigation concluded Gagarin's aircraft entered a spin, either due to a bird strike or because of a sudden move to avoid another aircraft. Because of the out-of-date weather report, the crew believed their altitude was higher than it was and could not react properly to bring the MiG-15 out of its spin.[76] Another theory, advanced in 2005 by the original crash investigator, hypothesizes that a cabin air vent was accidentally left open by the crew or the previous pilot, leading to oxygen deprivation and leaving the crew incapable of controlling the aircraft.[73] A similar theory, published in Air & Space magazine, is that the crew detected the open vent and followed procedure by executing a rapid dive to a lower altitude. This dive caused them to lose consciousness and crash.[74]

 

On 12 April 2007, the Kremlin vetoed a new investigation into the death of Gagarin. Government officials said they saw no reason to begin a new investigation.[77] In April 2011, documents from a 1968 commission set up by the Central Committee of the Communist Party to investigate the accident were declassified. The documents revealed that the commission's original conclusion was that Gagarin or Seryogin had manoeuvered sharply, either to avoid a weather balloon or to avoid "entry into the upper limit of the first layer of cloud cover", leading the jet into a "super-critical flight regime and to its stalling in complex meteorological conditions".[78]

A Russian MiG-15UTI, the same type as Gagarin was flying

 

Cosmonaut Alexei Leonov, a member of a state commission established to investigate Gagarin's death, was conducting parachute training sessions that day and heard "two loud booms in the distance". He believes that a Sukhoi Su-15 was flying below its minimum altitude and, "without realizing it because of the terrible weather conditions, he passed within 10 or 20 meters of Yuri and Seregin's plane while breaking the sound barrier". The resulting turbulence would have sent the MiG-15UTI into an uncontrolled spin. Leonov said the first boom he heard was that of the jet breaking the sound barrier and the second was Gagarin's plane crashing.[79] In a June 2013 interview with Russian television network RT, Leonov said a report on the incident confirmed the presence of a second, "unauthorized" Su-15 flying in the area. However, as a condition of being allowed to discuss the declassified report, Leonov was barred from disclosing the name of the Su-15 pilot who was 80 years old and in poor health as of 2013.[80]

Awards and honours

Medals and orders of merit

Jânio Quadros, President of Brazil, decorated Gagarin in 1961.

 

On 14 April 1961, Gagarin was honoured with a 12-mile (19 km) parade attended by millions of people that concluded at the Red Square. After a short speech, he was bestowed the Hero of the Soviet Union,[81][82] Order of Lenin,[81] Merited Master of Sports of the Soviet Union[83] and the first Pilot-Cosmonaut of the USSR.[82] On 15 April, the Soviet Academy of Sciences awarded him with the Konstantin Tsiolkovsky Gold Medal, named after the Russian pioneer of space aeronautics.[84] Gagarin had also been awarded four Soviet commemorative medals over the course of his career.[15]

 

He was honoured as a Hero of Socialist Labor (Czechoslovakia) on 29 April 1961,[85][86] and Hero of Socialist Labor (Bulgaria, including the Order of Georgi Dimitrov) on 24 May.[15][chronology citation needed] On the eighth anniversary of the beginning of Cuban Revolution (26 July), President Osvaldo Dorticos of Cuba presented him with the first Commander of the Order of Playa Girón, a newly created medal.[87]

 

Gagarin was also awarded the 1960 Gold Air Medal and the 1961 De la Vaulx Medal from the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale in Switzerland.[88] He received numerous awards from other nations that year, including the Star of the Republic of Indonesia (2nd Class), the Order of the Cross of Grunwald (1st Degree) in Poland, the Order of the Flag of the Republic of Hungary, the Hero of Labor award from Democratic Republic of Vietnam,[15] the Italian Columbus Day Medal,[89] and a Gold Medal from the British Interplanetary Society.[90][91] President Jânio Quadros of Brazil decorated Gagarin on 2 August 1961 with the Order of Aeronautical Merit, Commander grade.[92] During a tour of Egypt in late January 1962, Gagarin received the Order of the Nile[93] and the golden keys to the gates of Cairo.[50] On 22 October 1963, Gagarin and Valentina Tereshkova were honoured with the Order of Karl Marx from the German Democratic Republic.[94]

Tributes

 

The date of Gagarin's space flight, 12 April, has been commemorated. Since 1962, it has been celebrated in the USSR and most of its former territories as Cosmonautics Day.[95] Since 2000, Yuri's Night, an international celebration, is held annually to commemorate milestones in space exploration.[96] In 2011, it was declared the International Day of Human Space Flight by the United Nations.[97]

Yuri Gagarin statue at the Royal Greenwich Observatory in London

 

A number of buildings and locations have been named for Gagarin. The Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, was named on 30 April 1968.[98] The launch pad at Baikonur Cosmodrome from which Sputnik 1 and Vostok 1 were launched is now known as Gagarin's Start. Gagarin Raion in Sevastopol, Ukraine, was named after him during the period of the Soviet Union. The Russian Air Force Academy was renamed Gagarin Air Force Academy in 1968.[99] A street in Warsaw, Poland, is called Yuri Gagarin Street.[100] The town of Gagarin, Armenia was renamed in his honour in 1961.[101]

 

Gagarin has been honoured on the Moon by astronauts and astronomers. During the American space program's Apollo 11 mission in 1969, astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin left a memorial satchel containing medals commemorating Gagarin and fellow cosmonaut Vladimir Komarov on the Moon's surface.[102][103] In 1971, Apollo 15 astronauts David Scott and James Irwin left the small Fallen Astronaut sculpture at their landing site as a memorial to the American astronauts and Soviet cosmonauts who died in the Space Race; the names on its plaque included Yuri Gagarin and 14 others.[104][105] In 1970, a 262 km (163 mi)-wide crater on the far side after him.[106] Gagarin was inducted as a member of the 1976 inaugural class of the International Space Hall of Fame in New Mexico.[107]

 

Gagarin is memorialised in music; a cycle of Soviet patriotic songs titled The Constellation Gagarin (Russian: Созвездье Гагарина, tr. Sozvezdie Gagarina) was written by Aleksandra Pakhmutova and Nikolai Dobronravov in 1970–1971.[108] The most famous of these songs refers to Gagarin's poyekhali!: in the lyrics, "He said 'let's go!' He waved his hand".[35][108] He was the inspiration for the pieces "Hey Gagarin" by Jean-Michel Jarre on Métamorphoses, "Gagarin" by Public Service Broadcasting, and "Gagarin, I loved you" by Undervud.[109]

Russian ten-ruble commemorating Gagarin in 2001

 

Vessels have been named for Gagarin; Soviet tracking ship Kosmonavt Yuri Gagarin was built in 1971[110] and the Armenian airline Armavia named their first Sukhoi Superjet 100 in his honour in 2011.[111]

 

Two commemorative coins were issued in the Soviet Union to honour the 20th and 30th anniversaries of his flight: a one-ruble coin in copper-nickel (1981) and a three-ruble coin in silver (1991). In 2001, to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Gagarin's flight, a series of four coins bearing his likeness was issued in Russia; it consisted of a two-ruble coin in copper-nickel, a three-ruble coin in silver, a ten-ruble coin in brass-copper and nickel, and a 100-ruble coin in silver.[112] In 2011, Russia issued a 1,000-ruble coin in gold and a three-ruble coin in silver to mark the 50th anniversary of his flight.[113]

 

In 2008, the Kontinental Hockey League named their championship trophy the Gagarin Cup.[114] In a 2010 Space Foundation survey, Gagarin was ranked as the sixth-most-popular space hero, tied with Star Trek's fictional James T. Kirk.[115] A Russian docudrama titled Gagarin: First in Space was released in 2013. Previous attempts at portraying Gagarin were disallowed; his family took legal action over his portrayal in a fictional drama and vetoed a musical.[116]

Statues and monuments

 

There are statues of Gagarin and monuments to him located in Gagarin (Smolensk Oblast), Orenburg, Cheboksary, Irkutsk, Izhevsk, Komsomolsk-on-Amur, and Yoshkar-Ola in Russia, as well as in Nicosia, Cyprus, Druzhkivka, Ukraine, Karaganda, Kazakhstan, and Tiraspol, Moldova. On 4 June 1980, Monument to Yuri Gagarin in Gagarin Square, Leninsky Avenue, Moscow, was opened.[117] The monument is mounted to a 38 m (125 ft) tall pedestal and is constructed of titanium. Beside the column is a replica of the descent module used during his spaceflight.[118]

Bust of Gagarin at Birla Planetarium in Kolkata, India

 

In 2011, a statue of Gagarin was unveiled at Admiralty Arch in The Mall in London, opposite the permanent sculpture of James Cook. It is a copy of the statue outside Gagarin's former school in Lyubertsy.[119] In 2013, the statue was moved to a permanent location outside the Royal Observatory, Greenwich.[120]

 

In 2012, a statue was unveiled at the site of NASA's original spaceflight headquarters on South Wayside Drive in Houston. The sculpture was completed in 2011 by artist and cosmonaut Alexei Leonov and was a gift to Houston by various Russian organisations. Houston Mayor Annise Parker, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, and Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak were present for the dedication.[121][122] The Russian Federation presented a bust of Gagarin to several cities in India including one that was unveiled at the Birla Planetarium in Kolkata in February 2012.[123]

 

In April 2018, a bust of Gagarin erected on the street in Belgrade, Serbia, that bears his name was removed, after less than week. A new work was commissioned following the outcry over the disproportionately small size of its head which locals said was an "insult" to Gagarin.[124][125] Belgrade City Manager Goran Vesic stated that neither the city, the Serbian Ministry of Culture, nor the foundation that financed it had prior knowledge of the design.[126]

50th anniversary

50th anniversary stamp of Ukraine

 

The 50th anniversary of Gagarin's journey into space was marked in 2011 by tributes around the world. A film titled First Orbit was shot from the International Space Station, combining sound recordings from the original flight with footage of the route taken by Gagarin.[127] The Russian, American, and Italian crew of Expedition 27 aboard the ISS sent a special video message to wish the people of the world a "Happy Yuri's Night", wearing shirts with an image of Gagarin.[128]

 

The Central Bank of the Russian Federation released gold and silver coins to commemorate the anniversary.[129] The Soyuz TMA-21 spacecraft was named Gagarin with the launch in April 2011 to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the first manned space mission.

The Citroën DS (French pronunciation: ​[si.tʁɔ.ˈɛn de ɛs]) is a front-engine, front-wheel-drive executive car manufactured and marketed by the French company Citroën from 1955 to 1975 in sedan, wagon/estate and convertible body configurations. Italian sculptor and industrial designer Flaminio Bertoni and the French aeronautical engineer André Lefèbvre styled and engineered the car. Paul Magès developed the hydropneumatic self-levelling suspension.

 

Noted for its aerodynamic, futuristic body design and innovative technology, the DS set new standards in ride quality, handling, and braking—and was the first production car equipped with disc brakes.

 

Citroën sold 1,455,746 examples, including 1,330,755 built at the manufacturer's Paris Quai André-Citroën production plant.

 

The DS came third in the 1999 Car of the Century poll recognizing the world's most influential auto designs and was named the most beautiful car of all time by Classic & Sports Car magazine

 

MODEL HISTORY

After 18 years of secret development as the successor to the Traction Avant, the DS 19 was introduced on 5 October 1955 at the Paris Motor Show. In the first 15 minutes of the show, 743 orders were taken, and orders for the first day totalled 12,000. During the 10 days of the show, the DS took in 80,000 deposits; a record that has stood for over 60 years.

 

Contemporary journalists said the DS pushed the envelope in the ride vs. handling compromise possible in a motor vehicle.

 

To a France still deep in reconstruction after the devastation of World War II, and also building its identity in the post-colonial world, the DS was a symbol of French ingenuity. The DS was distributed to many territories throughout the world.

 

It also posited the nation's relevance in the Space Age, during the global race for technology of the Cold War. Structuralist philosopher Roland Barthes, in an essay about the car, said that it looked as if it had "fallen from the sky". An American advertisement summarised this selling point: "It takes a special person to drive a special car".

 

Because they were owned by the technologically aggressive tire manufacturer Michelin, Citroën had designed their cars around the technically superior radial tire since 1948, and the DS was no exception.

 

The car featured a novel hydropneumatic suspension including an automatic leveling system and variable ground clearance, developed in-house by Paul Magès. This suspension allowed the DS to travel quickly on the poor road surfaces common in France.

 

In addition, the vehicle had power steering and a semi-automatic transmission (the transmission required no clutch pedal, but gears still had to be shifted by hand), though the shift lever controlled a powered hydraulic shift mechanism in place of a mechanical linkage, and a fibreglass roof which lowered the centre of gravity and so reduced weight transfer. Inboard front brakes (as well as independent suspension) reduced unsprung weight. Different front and rear track widths and tyre sizes reduced the unequal tyre loading, which is well known to promote understeer, typical of front-engined and front-wheel drive cars.

 

As with all French cars, the DS design was affected by the tax horsepower system, which effectively mandated very small engines. Unlike the Traction Avant predecessor, there was no top-of-range model with a powerful six-cylinder engine. Citroën had planned an air-cooled flat-6 engine for the car, but did not have the funds to put the prototype engine into production.

 

The DS placed third in the 1999 Car of the Century competition, and fifth on Automobile Magazine's "100 Coolest Cars" listing in 2005. It was also named the most beautiful car of all time by Classic & Sports Car magazine after a poll of 20 world-renowned car designers, including Giorgetto Giugiaro, Ian Callum, Roy Axe, Paul Bracq, and Leonardo Fioravanti.

 

NAME

Both the DS and its simpler sibling, the ID, used a punning name. "DS" is pronounced in French as "Déesse" (goddess); "ID" is pronounced as "Idée" (idea). An intermediate model was called the DW.

 

MOTORSPORT

The DS was successful in motorsports like rallying, where sustained speeds on poor surfaces are paramount, and won the Monte Carlo Rally in 1959. In the 1000 Lakes Rally, Pauli Toivonen drove a DS19 to victory in 1962.

 

In 1966, the DS won the Monte Carlo Rally again, with some controversy as the competitive BMC Mini-Cooper team was disqualified due to rule infractions. Ironically, Mini was involved with DS competition again two years later, when a drunk driver in a Mini in Sydney Australia crashed into the DS that was leading the 1968 London–Sydney Marathon, 98 miles from the finish line. The DS was still competitive in the grueling 1974 London-Sahara-Munich World Cup Rally, where it won over 70 other cars, only 5 of which even completed the entire event.

 

TECHNICAL INNOVATION - HYDRAULIC SYSTEMS

In conventional cars, hydraulics are only used in brakes and power steering. In the DS they were also used for the suspension, clutch and transmission. The cheaper 1957 ID19 did have manual steering and a simplified power-braking system. An engine driven pump pressurizes the closed system to 2,400 pounds per square inch.

 

At a time when few passenger vehicles had independent suspension on all wheels, the application of the hydraulic system to the car's suspension system to provide a self-levelling system was an innovative move. This suspension allowed the car to achieve sharp handling combined with very high ride quality, frequently compared to a "magic carpet".

 

The hydropneumatic suspension used was pioneered the year before, on the rear of another car from Citroën, the top of range Traction Avant 15CV-H.

 

IMPACT ON CITROEN BRAND DEVELOPMENT

The 1955 DS cemented the Citroën brand name as an automotive innovator, building on the success of the Traction Avant, which had been the world's first mass-produced unitary body front-wheel-drive car in 1934. In fact, the DS caused such a huge sensation that Citroën was apprehensive that future models would not be of the same bold standard. No clean sheet new models were introduced from 1955 to 1970.

 

The DS was a large, expensive executive car and a downward brand extension was attempted, but without result. Throughout the late 1950s and 1960s Citroën developed many new vehicles for the very large, profitable market segments between the 2CV and the DS, occupied by vehicles like the Peugeot 403, Renault 16 and Ford Cortina, but none made it into production. Either they had uneconomic build costs, or were ordinary "me too" cars, not up to the company's high standard of innovation. As Citroën was owned by Michelin from 1934 to 1974 as a sort of research laboratory, such broad experimentation was possible. Michelin after all was getting a powerful advertisement for the capabilities of the radial tire Michelin had invented, when such experimentation was successful.

 

New models based on the small, utilitarian 2CV economy car were introduced, notably the 1961 Ami. It was also designed by Flaminio Bertoni and aimed to combine Three-box styling with the chassis of the 2CV. The Ami was very successful in France, but less so on export markets. Many found the styling controversial, and the car noisy and underpowered. The Dyane, was a modernised 2CV with a hatchback, competed with the 2CV inspired Renault 4 Hatchback. All these 2 cylinder models were very small, so there remained a wide market gap to the DS range all through the 1960s.

 

In 1970, Citroën finally introduced a car to target the mid-range - the Citroën GS, which won the "European car of the Year" for 1971 and sold 2.5 million units. It combined a small 55 horsepower flat-4 air-cooled engine with Hydropneumatic suspension. The intended 106 horsepower Wankel rotary-engined version with more power did not reach full production.

 

REPLACING THE DS

The DS remained popular and competitive throughout its production run. Its peak production year was 1970. Certain design elements like the somewhat narrow cabin, column-mounted gearstick, and separate fenders began to seem a little old-fashioned in the 1970s.

 

Citroën invested enormous resources to design and launch an entirely new vehicle in 1970, the SM, which was in effect a thoroughly modernized DS, with similar length, but greater width. The manual gearbox was a modified DS unit. The front disc brakes were the same design. Axles, wheel bearings, steering knuckles, and hydraulic components were either DS parts or modified DS parts.

 

The SM had a different purpose than replacing the 15-year-old DS design however - it was meant to launch Citroën into a completely new luxury grand touring market segment. Only fitted with a costly, exotic Maserati engine, the SM was faster and much more expensive than the DS. The SM was not designed to be a practical 4-door saloon suitable as a large family car, the key market for vehicles of this type in Europe. Typically, manufacturers would introduce low-volume coupés based on parts shared with an existing saloon, not as unique models, a contemporary example being the Mercedes-Benz SLC-Class.

 

The SM's high price and limited utility of the 2+2 seating configuration, meant the SM as actually produced could not seize the mantle from the DS.

 

So, while the design funds invested would allow the DS to be replaced by two cars - a 'modern DS' and the smaller CX, it was left to the CX alone to provide Citroën's large family or executive car in the model range.

 

The last DS came off the production line on 24 April 1975 - the manufacturer had taken the elementary precaution of building up approximately eight-month's of inventory of the "break" (estate/station wagon) version of the DS, to cover the period till Autumn 1975 when the estate/station wagon version of the CX would be introduced.

 

DEVELOPMENT

The DS always maintained its size and shape, with easily removable, unstressed body panels, but certain design changes did occur. During the 20-year production life improvements were made on an ongoing basis.

ID 19 submodel to extend brand downwards (1957–69)

 

The 1955 DS19 was 65% more expensive than the car it replaced, the Citroën Traction Avant. This affected potential sales in a country still recovering economically from World War II, so a cheaper submodel, the Citroën ID, was introduced in 1957.

 

The ID shared the DS's body but was less powerful and luxurious. Although it shared the engine capacity of the DS engine (at this stage 1,911 cc), the ID provided a maximum power output of only 69 hp compared to the 75 hp claimed for the DS19. Power outputs were further differentiated in 1961 when the DS19 acquired a Weber-32 twin bodied carburettor, and the increasing availability of higher octane fuel enabled the manufacturer to increase the compression ratio from 7.5:1 to 8.5:1. A new DS19 now came with a promised 83 hp of power. The ID19 was also more traditional mechanically: it had no power steering and had conventional transmission and clutch instead of the DS's hydraulically controlled set-up. Initially the basic ID19 was sold on the French market with a price saving of more than 25% against the DS, although the differential was reduced at the end of 1961 when the manufacturer quietly withdrew the entry level ID19 "Normale" from sale. A station wagon variant, the ID Break, was introduced in 1958.

 

D SPECIAL AND D SUPER (1970–75)

The ID was replaced by the D Spécial and D Super in 1970, but these retained the lower specification position in the range. The D Super was available with the DS21 2175ccm engine and a 5 speed gearbox, and named the D Super 5.

 

SERIE 2 - NOSE REDESIGN IN 1962

In September 1962, the DS was restyled with a more aerodynamically efficient nose, better ventilation and other improvements. It retained the open two headlamp appearance, but was available with an optional set of driving lights mounted on the front fenders. All models in the range changed nose design at the same time, including the ID and station wagon models.

Series 3 - Nose redesign in 1967 with Directional headlights

 

In late 1967, for the 1968 model year, the DS and ID was again restyled, by Robert Opron, who also styled the 1970 SM and 1974 CX. This version had a more streamlined headlamp design, giving the car a notably shark-like appearance. This design had four headlights under a smooth glass canopy, and the inner set swivelled with the steering wheel. This allowed the driver to see "around" turns, especially valuable on twisting roads driven at high speed at night.

 

Behind each glass cover lens, the inboard high-beam headlamp swivels by up to 80° as the driver steers, throwing the beam along the driver's intended path rather than uselessly across the curved road. The outboard low-beam headlamps are self-leveling in response to pitching caused by acceleration and braking.

 

However, this feature was not allowed in the US at the time (see World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations), so a version with four exposed headlights that did not swivel was made for the US market.

 

This 'turning headlight' feature was new to the market - it had only been seen before on the very rare three headlight 1935 Tatra 77A. The Tucker, which never was mass-produced, had a central headlight that turned with the steering. 45 years later, it is now a commonly available feature, even in the United States.

 

NEW GREEN HYDRAULIC FLUID

The original hydropneumatic system used a vegetable oil liquide hydraulique végétal (LHV), similar to that used in other cars at the time, but later switched to a synthetic fluid liquide hydraulique synthétique (LHS). Both of these had the disadvantage that they are hygroscopic, as is the case with most brake fluids. Disuse allows water to enter the hydraulic components causing deterioration and expensive maintenance work. The difficulty with hygroscopic hydraulic fluid was exacerbated in the DS/ID due to the extreme rise and fall in the fluid level in the reservoir, which went from nearly full to nearly empty when the suspension extended to maximum height and the six accumulators in the system filled with fluid. With every "inhalation" of fresh moisture- (and dust-) laden air, the fluid absorbed more water.

 

For the 1967 model year, Citroën introduced a new mineral oil-based fluid LHM (Liquide Hydraulique Minéral). This fluid was much less harsh on the system. LHM remained in use within Citroën until the Xantia was discontinued in 2001.

 

LHM required completely different materials for the seals. Using either fluid in the incorrect system would completely destroy the hydraulic seals very quickly. To help avoid this problem, Citroën added a bright green dye to the LHM fluid and also painted all hydraulic elements bright green. The former LHS parts were painted black.

 

All models, including the station wagon and ID, were upgraded at the same time. The hydraulic fluid changed to the technically superior LHM in all markets except the US and Canada, where the change did not take place until January 1969, due to local regulations.

 

INTERNATIONAL SALES AND PRODUCTION

The DS was primarily manufactured at the Quai André-Citroën in the Javel neighborhood of Paris, with other manufacturing facilities in the United Kingdom, South Africa, the former Yugoslavia (mostly Break Ambulances), and Australia.

 

Australia constructed their own D variant in the 1960s at Heidelberg, Victoria, identified as the ID 19 "Parisienne." Australian market cars were fitted with options as standard equipment such as the "DSpecial DeLuxe" that were not available on domestic European models.

 

Until 1965, cars were assembled at the manufacturer's Slough premises, to the west of London, using a combination of French made knock down kits and locally sourced components, some of them machined on site. A French electrical system superseded the British one on the Slough cars in 1962, giving rise to a switch to "continental style" negative earthing. After 1965 cars for the British market were imported fully assembled from the company's French plant. The British-built cars are distinguished by their leather seats, wooden (early ID19 models) one piece plastic (early DS19 models) dashboards, chromed number plate mount let into the front bumper, and (on pre-1962 cars) Lucas-made electrics. These were all right hand drive cars.

 

The DS was built and sold in South Africa from 1959 to 1975.

 

The DS was sold in Japan, but the models were built in France and left hand drive.

 

DS IN NORTH AMERICA

The DS was sold in North America from 1956 to 1972. Despite its popularity in Europe, it didn't sell well in the United States, and little better in Canada. While promoted as a luxury car, it did not have the basic features that American buyers expected to find on such a vehicle, such as an automatic transmission, air conditioning, power windows, or a powerful engine. The DS was designed specifically to address the French market, with punitive tax horsepower taxation of large engines, as well as very poor roads – it's no great mystery that it was a fish out of water when those constraints were removed.

 

Jay Leno described the sporadic supply of spare parts as a problem for 1970s era customers, based on his early experiences working at a Citroën dealer in Boston.

 

The DS was expensive, with a 115 hp (86 kW) vehicle costing $4,170 in 1969, when the price was $4,500 for a 360 hp (268 kW) Buick Electra 225 4 door sedan. For all years, 38,000 units were sold.

 

US regulations at the time also banned one of the car's more advanced features: its composite headlamps with aerodynamic covered lenses. Based on legislation that dated from 1940, all automobiles sold in the U.S. were required to have round, sealed beam headlamps that produced a meager 75,000 candlepower. The powerful quartz iodine swiveling headlamps designed for the 1968 model DS represented so many performance improvements at once that they were far beyond what the regulations could allow.[50] Even the aerodynamic headlight covers were illegal – as seen on the 1968 Jaguar E-Type. It took the lobbying muscle of Ford to point out that the government was requiring two contradictory things – safety, by ensuring that all headlights were best-of-breed circa 1940, and fuel economy through the CAFE standard – by definition, cars with poor aerodynamics are sacrificing fuel economy. Composite bulb lamps and aerodynamic covered headlights were not permitted until 1983.

 

The European lamps were legal in Canada, including the directional headlamps.

 

The hydraulic fluid change in 1967 was another brain teaser for U.S. automotive regulators at the Department of Transportation. NHTSA follows the precautionary principle, also used by the Food and Drug Administration, where new innovations are prohibited until their developers can prove them to the regulators; this stifles the experimentation that automakers need to advance their products. NHTSA had already approved a brake fluid they considered safe – DOT 3 brake fluid, which is red and hygroscopic to promote internal rust. This completely different fluid, used in aircraft applications – the technically superior green LHM (Liquide Hydraulique Mineral) – took NHTSA two years to analyze for automotive use. Approval finally came in January 1969, so half the U.S. cars of the 1969 model year use red fluid and half use green fluid.

 

DESIGN VARIATIONS

PALLAS

In 1965 a luxury upgrade, the DS Pallas (after Greek goddess Pallas), was introduced. This included comfort features such as better noise insulation, a more luxurious (and optional leather) upholstery and external trim embellishments. From 1966 the Pallas model received a driver's seat with height adjustment.

 

STATION WAGON, FAMILIALE AND AMBULANCE

A station wagon version was introduced in 1958. It was known by various names in different markets (Break in France, Safari and Estate in the UK, Wagon in the US, and Citroën Australia used the terms Safari and Station-Wagon). It had a steel roof to support the standard roof rack. 'Familiales' had a rear seat mounted further back in the cabin, with three folding seats between the front and rear squabs. The standard Break had two side-facing seats in the main load area at the back.

 

The Ambulance configuration was similar to that of the Break, but with a 60/30 split in the rear folding seat to accommodate a stretcher. A 'Commerciale' version was also available for a time.

 

The Safari saw use as a camera car, notably by the BBC. The hydropneumatic suspension produces an unusually steady platform for filming while driving.

 

CONVERTIBLE

Rarest and most collectable of all DS variants, a convertible was offered from 1958 until 1973. The Cabriolet d'Usine (factory convertible) were built by French carrossier Henri Chapron, for the Citroën dealer network. It was an expensive car, so only 1,365 were sold. These DS convertibles used a special frame which was reinforced on the sidemembers and rear suspension swingarm bearing box, similar to, but not identical to the Break (Station Wagon) frame.

 

CHAPRON VARIATIONS

In addition, Chapron also produced a few coupés, non-works convertibles and special sedans (including the "Prestige", same wheelbase but with a central divider, and the "Lorraine" notchback).

 

BOSSAERT COUPE

Between 1959 and 1964, Hector Bossaert produced a coupé on a DS chassis shortened by 470 mm. While the front end remained unchanged, the rear end featured notchback styling.

 

THE REACTOR

In 1965, noted American auto customizer Gene Winfield created The Reactor, a Citroën DS chassis, with a turbocharged 180 hp (130 kW) flat-six engine from the Corvair driving the front wheels. Since the DS already had the engine behind the front wheels, the longer engine meant only one row of seats. This was draped in a streamlined, low slung, aluminum body.

 

The Reactor was seen in American Television programs of the era, such as Star Trek: The Original Series episode 2.25 ("Bread and Circuses)," Batman episodes 110 ("Funny Feline Felonies") and 111 (driven by Catwoman Eartha Kitt), and Bewitched, which devoted its episode 3.19 ("Super Car") to The Reactor.

 

MICHELIN PLR

The Michelin PLR is a mobile tire evaluation machine, based on the DS Break, built in 1972, later used for promotion.

Technical details

 

SUSPENSION

In a hydropneumatic suspension system, each wheel is connected, not to a spring, but to a hydraulic suspension unit consisting of a hydraulic accumulator sphere of about 12 cm in diameter containing pressurised nitrogen, a cylinder containing hydraulic fluid screwed to the suspension sphere, a piston inside the cylinder connected by levers to the suspension itself, and a damper valve between the piston and the sphere. A membrane in the sphere prevented the nitrogen from escaping. The motion of the wheels translated to a motion of the piston, which acted on the oil in the nitrogen cushion and provided the spring effect. The damper valve took place of the shock absorber in conventional suspensions. The hydraulic cylinder was fed with hydraulic fluid from the main pressure reservoir via a height corrector, a valve controlled by the mid-position of the anti-roll bar connected to the axle. If the suspension was too low, the height corrector introduced high-pressure fluid; if it was too high, it released fluid back to the fluid reservoir. In this manner, a constant ride height was maintained. A control in the cabin allowed the driver to select one of five heights: normal riding height, two slightly higher riding heights for poor terrain, and two extreme positions for changing wheels. (The correct term, oleopneumatic (oil-air), has never gained widespread use. Hydropneumatic (water-air) continues to be preferred overwhelmingly.)

 

The DS did not have a jack for lifting the car off the ground. Instead, the hydraulic system enabled wheel changes with the aid of a simple adjustable stand. To change a flat tyre, one would adjust the suspension to its topmost setting, insert the stand into a special peg near the flat tyre, then readjust the suspension to its lowermost setting. The flat tyre would then retract upwards and hover above ground, ready to be changed. This system, used on the SM also, was superseded on the CX by a screw jack that, after the suspension was raised to the high position, lifted the tire clear of the ground. The DS system, while impressive to use, sometimes dropped the car quite suddenly, especially if the stand was not placed precisely or the ground was soft or unlevel.

 

SOURCE AND RESERVE OF PRESSURE

The central part of the hydraulic system was the high pressure pump, which maintained a pressure of between 130 and 150 bar in two accumulators. These accumulators were very similar in construction to the suspension spheres. One was dedicated to the front brakes, and the other ran the other hydraulic systems. (On the simpler ID models, the front brakes operated from the main accumulator.) Thus in case of a hydraulic failure, the first indication would be that the steering became heavy, followed by the gearbox not working; only later would the brakes fail.

 

Two different hydraulic pumps were used. The DS used a seven-cylinder axial piston pump driven off two belts and delivering 175 bar (2,540 psi) of pressure. The ID19, with its simpler hydraulic system, had a single-cylinder pump driven by an eccentric on the camshaft.

 

GEARBOX AND CLUTCH

HYDRAULIQUE OR CITROMATIC

The DS was initially offered only with the "hydraulique" four-speed semi-automatic (bvh—"boîte de vitesses hydraulique") gearbox.

 

This was a four-speed gearbox and clutch, operated by a hydraulic controller. To change gears, the driver flicked a lever behind the steering wheel to the next position and eased-up on the accelerator pedal. The hydraulic controller disengaged the clutch, engaged the nominated gear, and re-engaged the clutch. The speed of engagement of the clutch was controlled by a centrifugal regulator sensing engine rpm and driven off the camshaft by a belt, the position of the butterfly valve in the carburettor (i.e., the position of the accelerator), and the brake circuit. When the brake was pressed, the engine idle speed dropped to an rpm below the clutch engagement speed, thus preventing friction while stopped in gear at traffic lights. When the brake was released, the idle speed increased to the clutch dragging speed. The car would then creep forward much like automatic transmission cars. This drop in idle throttle position also caused the car to have more engine drag when the brakes were applied even before the car slowed to the idle speed in gear, preventing the engine from pulling against the brakes. In the event of loss of hydraulic pressure (following loss of system fluid), the clutch would disengage, to prevent driving, while brake pressure reserves would allow safe braking to standstill.

 

MANUAL - FOUR SPEED AND FIVE-SPEED

The later and simpler ID19 had the same gearbox and clutch, manually operated. This configuration was offered as a cheaper option for the DS in 1963. The mechanical aspects of the gearbox and clutch were completely conventional and the same elements were used in the ID 19. In September 1970, Citroën introduced a five-speed manual gearbox, in addition to the original four-speed unit.

 

FULLY AUTOMATIC

In September 1971 Citroën introduced a 3-speed fully automatic Borg-Warner 35 transmission gearbox, on the DS 21 and later DS 23 models. It is ironic that the fully automatic transmission DS was never sold in the US market, where this type of transmission had gained market share so quickly that it became the majority of the market by this time. Many automatic DSs, fuel-injected DS 23 sedans with air conditioning, were sold in Australia.

 

ENGINES

The DS was originally designed around an air-cooled flat-six based on the design of the 2-cylinder engine of the 2CV, similar to the motor in the Porsche 911. Technical and monetary problems forced this idea to be scrapped.

 

Thus, for such a modern car, the engine of the original DS 19 was also old-fashioned. It was derived from the engine of the 11CV Traction Avant (models 11B and 11C). It was an OHV four-cylinder engine with three main bearings and wet liners, and a bore of 78 mm and a stroke of 100 mm, giving a volumetric displacement of 1911 cc. The cylinder head had been reworked; the 11C had a reverse-flow cast iron cylinder head and generated 60 hp (45 kW) at 3800 rpm; by contrast, the DS 19 had an aluminium cross-flow head with hemispherical combustion chambers and generated 75 hp (56 kW) at 4500 rpm.

 

Like the Traction Avant, the DS had the gearbox mounted in front of the engine, with the differential in between. Thus some consider the DS to be a mid engine front-wheel drive car.

 

The DS and ID powerplants evolved throughout its 20-year production life. The car was underpowered and faced constant mechanical changes to boost the performance of the four-cylinder engine. The initial 1911 cc three main bearing engine (carried forward from the Traction Avant) of the DS 19 was replaced in 1965 with the 1985 cc five-bearing wet-cylinder motor, becoming the DS 19a (called DS 20 from September 1969).

 

The DS 21 was also introduced for model year 1965. This was a 2175 cc, five main bearing engine; power was 109 hp This engine received a substantial increase in power with the introduction of Bosch electronic fuel injection for 1970, making the DS one of the first mass-market cars to use electronic fuel injection. Power of the carbureted version also increased slightly at the same time, owing to the employment of larger inlet valves.

 

Lastly, 1973 saw the introduction of the 2347 cc engine of the DS 23 in both carbureted and fuel-injected forms. The DS 23 with electronic fuel injection was the most powerful production model, producing 141 hp (105 kW).

 

IDs and their variants went through a similar evolution, generally lagging the DS by about one year. ID saloon models never received the DS 23 engine or fuel injection, although the Break/Familiale versions received the carburetted version of the DS 23 engine when it was introduced, supplemented the DS20 Break/Familiale.

 

The top of the range ID model, The DSuper5 (DP) gained the DS21 engine (the only model that this engine was retained in) for the 1973 model year and it was mated to a five-speed gearbox. This should not be confused with the 1985 cc DSuper fitted with an optional "low ratio" five-speed gearbox, or with the previous DS21M (DJ) five-speed.

 

IN POPULAR CULTURE

President Charles de Gaulle survived an assassination attempt at Le Petit-Clamart near Paris on August 22, 1962, planned by Algerian War veteran Jean-Marie Bastien-Thiry. The plan was to ambush the motorcade with machine guns, disable the vehicles, and then close in for the kill. De Gaulle praised the unusual abilities of his unarmoured DS with saving his life – the car was peppered with bullets, and the shots had punctured the tyres, but the car could still escape at full speed. This event was accurately recreated in the 1973 film The Day of the Jackal.

 

Beyond de Gaulle and the French aristocracy, the roomy DS also appealed to French taxi drivers.

 

Outside France, the car drew an eclectic customer mix, such as Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, Pope John XXIII, painter Marc Chagall, and actors Ken Berry, Jeff Bridges, and Rosamund Pike.

 

The DS appeared in several episodes of contemporary television series Mission: Impossible, including substantial appearances in 'The Slave' (ep. 2.06) and 'Robot' (ep. 4.09).

 

An ode to Jane Child's DS21 appears on her 1989 self-titled album.

 

In 1989, the film Back to the Future Part II featured a modified Citroen DS as a flying taxicab, when the main characters travel 30 years into the future (2015). Scarface (1983 film) with Al Pacino and the 2009 television series The Mentalist both feature the DS in key roles. According to Internet Movie Cars Database, the DS/ID has made over 2,000 film and television appearances so far.

 

Two films focus on the DS, including The Goddess of 1967 about a Japanese man purchasing a DS (goddess or déesse in French) in Australia, and 1995's Icelandic-Japanese road movie Cold Fever.

 

LEGACY

Citroën DS values have been rising – a 1973 DS 23 Injection Electronique "Decapotable" (Chapron Convertible) sold for EUR €176,250 (USD $209,738) at Christie's Rétromobile in February 2006. and a similar car sold by Bonhams in February 2009 brought EUR €343,497 (USD $440,436). On 18 September 2009 a 1966 DS21 Decapotable Usine was sold by Bonhams for a hammer price of UK£131,300. Bonhams sold another DS21 Decapotable (1973) on 23 January 2010 for EUR €189,000.

 

The DS's beloved place in French society was demonstrated in Paris on 9 October 2005 with a celebration of the 50th anniversary of its launch. 1,600 DS cars drove in procession past the Arc de Triomphe.

 

From 2005 to 2008, a young Frenchman named Manuel Boileau travelled around the world in a 1971 DS ambulance. It was an 80,000 kilometer journey across 38 countries called Lunaya World Tour. While traveling through Laos, he located the forlorn 1974 DS Prestige belonging to Sisavang Vatthana, the last King of the Kingdom of Laos, which is now preserved and restored by specialists in Bangkok.

 

In 2009, Groupe PSA created a new brand - DS Automobiles, intended as high quality, high specification variations on existing models, with differing mechanics and bodywork. This brand ranges across four models, the DS3, DS4, DS5, and the China-only SUV DS 6. The DS3, launched in March 2010, is based on Citroen's new C3, but is more customisable and unique, bearing some resemblance to the original DS, with its "Shark Fin" side pillar. These have created their own niches, with the DS4 being a mix of a crossover and a coupe and the DS5 mixing a coupe and an estate. Many feature hybrid-diesel engines to maximise efficiency.

 

WIKIPEDIA

An Atlas-D rocket in Mercury-Atlas Configuration is on display at Kennedy Space Center.

 

Atlas LV-3B

 

The Atlas LV-3B, Atlas D Mercury Launch Vehicle or Mercury-Atlas Launch Vehicle, was a human-rated expendable launch system used as part of the United States Project Mercury to send astronauts into low Earth orbit. Manufactured by American aircraft manufacturing company Convair, it was derived from the SM-65D Atlas missile, and was a member of the Atlas family of rockets.

 

The Atlas D missile was the natural choice for Project Mercury since it was the only launch vehicle in the US arsenal that could put the spacecraft into orbit and also had a large number of flights to gather data from. But its reliability was far from perfect and Atlas launches ending in explosions were an all-too common sight at Cape Canaveral. Thus, significant steps had to be taken to human-rate the missile and make it safe and reliable unless NASA wished to spend several years developing a dedicated launch vehicle for crewed programs or else wait for the next-generation Titan II ICBM to become operational. Atlas’s stage-and-a-half configuration was seen as somewhat preferable to the two stage Titan in that all engines were ignited at liftoff, making it easier to test for hardware problems during prelaunch checks.

 

Shortly after being chosen for the program in early 1959, the Mercury astronauts were taken to watch the second D-series Atlas test, which exploded a minute into launch. This was the fifth straight complete or partial Atlas failure and the booster was at this point nowhere near reliable enough to carry a nuclear warhead or an uncrewed satellite, let alone a human passenger. Plans to human-rate Atlas were effectively still on the drawing board and Convair estimated that 75% reliability would be achieved by early 1961 and 85% reliability by the end of the year.

 

•General Specifications:

oFunction: Crewed Expendable Launch System

oManufacturer: Convair

oCountry of Origin: United States

•Size:

oHeight: 28.7 meters (94.3 ft)

oDiameter: 3.0 meters (10.0 ft); Width Over Boost Fairing: 4.9 meters (16 ft)

oMass: 120,000 kilograms (260,000 lb)

oStages: 1½

•Capacity:

oPayload to LEO: 1,360 kilograms (3,000 lb)

•Launch History:

oStatus: Retired

oLaunch Sites: CCAFS LC-14

oTotal Launches: 9

oSuccesses: 7

oFailures: 2

oFirst Flight: July 29, 1960

oLast Flight: May 15, 1963

•Boosters:

oNumber of Boosters: 1

oEngines: 2

oThrust: 1,517.4 kilonewtons (341,130 lbf)

oBurn Time: 134 seconds

oFuel: RP-1/LOX

•First Stage:

oDiameter: 3.0 meters (10.0 ft)

oEngines: 1

oThrust: 363.22 kilonewtons (81,655 lbf)

oBurn Time: 5 minutes

oFuel: RP-1/LOX

 

Quality Assurance

 

Aside from the modifications described below, Convair set aside a separate assembly line dedicated to Mercury-Atlas vehicles which was staffed by personnel who received special orientation and training on the importance of the crewed space program and the need for as high quality workmanship as possible. Components used in the Mercury-Atlas vehicles were given thorough testing to ensure proper manufacturing quality and operating condition, in addition components and subsystems with excessive operating hours, out-of-specification performance, and questionable inspection records would be rejected. All components approved for the Mercury program were earmarked and stored separately from hardware intended for other Atlas programs and special handling procedures were done to protect them from damage.

 

Propulsion systems used for the Mercury vehicles would be limited to standard D-series Atlas models of the Rocketdyne MA-2 engines which had been tested and found to have performance parameters closely matching NASA’s specifications.

 

All launch vehicles would have to be complete and fully flight-ready at delivery to Cape Canaveral with no missing components or unscheduled modifications/upgrades. After delivery, a comprehensive inspection of the booster would be undertaken and prior to launch, a flight review board would convene to approve each booster as flight-ready. The review board would conduct an overview of all prelaunch checks, and hardware repairs/modifications. In addition, Atlas flights over the past few months in both NASA and Air Force programs would be reviewed to make sure no failures occurred involving any components or procedures relevant to Project Mercury.

 

The NASA Quality Assurance Program meant that each Mercury-Atlas vehicle took twice as long to manufacture and assemble as an Atlas designed for uncrewed missions and three times as long to test and verify for flight.

 

Systems Modified

 

Abort Sensor

 

Central to these efforts was the development of the Abort Sensing and Implementation System (ASIS), which would detect malfunctions in the Atlas’s various components and trigger a launch abort if necessary. Added redundancy was built in; if ASIS itself failed, the loss of power would also trigger an abort. The system was tested on a few Atlas ICBM flights prior to Mercury-Atlas 1 in July 1960, where it was operated open-loop (MA-3 in April 1961 would be the first closed-loop flight).

 

The Mercury launch escape system (LES) used on Redstone and Atlas launches was identical, but the ASIS system varied considerably between the two boosters as Atlas was a much larger, more complex vehicle with five engines, two of which were jettisoned during flight, a more sophisticated guidance system, and inflated balloon tanks that required constant pressure to not collapse.

 

Atlas flight test data was used to draw up a list of the most likely failure modes for the D-series vehicles, however simplicity reasons dictated that only a limited number of booster parameters could be monitored. An abort could be triggered by the following conditions, all of which could be indicative of a catastrophic failure:

 

•The booster flight path deviated too far from the planned trajectory

•Engine thrust or hydraulic pressure dropped below a certain level

•Propellant tank pressure dropped below a certain level

•The intermediate tank bulkhead showed signs of losing structural integrity

•The booster electrical system ceased operating

•The ASIS system ceased operating

 

Some failure modes such as an erroneous flight path did not necessarily pose an immediate danger to the astronaut’s safety and the flight could be terminated via a manual command from the ground (e.g. Mercury-Atlas 3). Other failure modes such as loss of engine thrust in the first few moments of liftoff required an immediate abort signal as there would be little or no time to command a manual abort.

 

An overview of failed Atlas test flights showed that there were only a few times that malfunctions occurred suddenly and without prior warning, for instance on Missile 6B when one turbopump failed 80 seconds into the launch. Otherwise, most failures were preceded by obvious deviations from the booster’s normal operating parameters. Automatic abort was only necessary in a situation like Atlas 6B where the failure happened so fast that there would be no time for a manual abort and most failure modes left enough time for the astronaut or ground controllers to manually activate the LES. A bigger concern was setting up the abort system so as to not go off when normal, minor performance deviations occurred.

 

Rate Gyros

 

The rate gyro package was placed much closer to the forward section of the LOX tank due to the Mercury/LES combination being considerably longer than a warhead and thus producing different aerodynamic characteristics (the standard Atlas D gyro package was still retained on the vehicle for the use of the ASIS). Mercury-Atlas 5 also added a new reliability feature—motion sensors to ensure proper operation of the gyroscopes prior to launch. This idea had originally been conceived when the first Atlas B launch in 1958 went out of control and destroyed itself after ground crews forgot to power on the gyroscope motors during prelaunch preparation, but it was phased into Atlas vehicles only gradually. One other Atlas missile test in 1961 also destroyed itself during launch, in that case because the gyroscope motor speed was too low. The motion sensors would thus eliminate this failure mode.

 

Range Safety

 

The range safety system was also modified for the Mercury program. There would be a three-second delay between engine cutoff and activation of the destruct charges so as to give the LES time to pull the capsule to safety. The ASIS system could not terminate engine thrust for the first 30 seconds of flight in order to prevent a malfunctioning launch vehicle from coming down on or around the pad area; during this time only the Range Safety Officer could send a manual cutoff command.

 

Autopilot

 

The old-fashioned electromechanical autopilot on the Atlas (known as the “round” autopilot due to the shape of the containers its major components were housed in) was replaced by a solid-state model (the “square” autopilot) that was more compact and easier to service, but it would prove a serious headache to debug and man-rate. On Mercury-Atlas 1, the autopilot system functioned well until launch vehicle destruction a minute into the flight. On Mercury-Atlas 2, there was a fair bit of missile bending and propellant slosh. Mercury-Atlas 3 completely failed and had to be destroyed shortly after launch when the booster did not perform the pitch and roll maneuver. After this debacle, the programmer was recovered and examined. Several causes were proposed including contamination of pins in the programmer or perhaps a transient voltage. The autopilot was extensively redesigned, but Mercury-Atlas 4 still had high vibration levels for the first 20 seconds of launch which led to further modifications. Finally on Mercury-Atlas 5, the autopilot worked perfectly.

 

Antenna

 

The guidance antenna was modified to reduce signal interference.

 

LOX Boil-Off Valve

 

Mercury-Atlas vehicles utilized the boil-off valve from the C-series Atlas rather than the standard D-series valve for reliability and weight-saving reasons.

 

Combustion Sensors

 

Combustion instability was an important problem that needed to be fixed. Although it mostly only occurred in static firing tests of the MA-2 engines, three launches (Missiles 3D, 51D, and 48D) had demonstrated that unstable thrust in one engine could result in immediate, catastrophic failure of the entire missile as the engine backfired and ruptured, leading to a thrust section fire. On Missile 3D, this had occurred in flight after a propellant leak starved one booster engine of LOX and led to reduced, unstable thrust and engine failure. The other two launches suffered rough combustion at engine start, ending in explosions that severely damaged the launch stand. Thus, it was decided to install extra sensors in the engines to monitor combustion levels and the booster would also be held down on the pad for a few moments after ignition to ensure smooth thrust. The engines would also use a “wet start”, meaning that the propellants were injected into the combustion chamber prior to igniter activation as opposed to a “dry start” where the igniter was activated first, which would eliminate rough ignition (51D and 48D had both used dry starts). If the booster failed the check, it would be automatically shut down. Once again, these upgrades required testing on Atlas R&D flights. By late 1961, after a third missile (27E) had exploded on the pad from combustion instability, Convair developed a significantly upgraded propulsion system that featured baffled fuel injectors and a hypergolic igniter in place of the pyrotechnic method, but NASA was unwilling to jeopardize John Glenn’s upcoming flight with these untested modifications and so declined to have them installed in Mercury-Atlas 6’s booster. As such, that and Scott Carpenter’s flight on MA-7 used the old-style Atlas propulsion system and the new variant was not employed until Wally Schirra’s flight late in 1962.

 

Static testing of Rocketdyne engines had produced high-frequency combustion instability, in what was known as the “racetrack” effect where burning propellant would swirl around the injector head, eventually destroying it from shock waves. On the launches of Atlas 51D and 48D, the failures were caused by low-order rough combustion that ruptured the injector head and LOX dome, causing a thrust section fire that led to eventual complete loss of the missile. The exact reason for the back-to-back combustion instability failures on 51D and 48D was not determined with certainty, although several causes were proposed. This problem was resolved by installing baffles in the injector head to break up swirling propellant, at the expense of some performance as the baffles added additional weight reduced the number of injector holes that propellants were sprayed through. The lessons learned with the Atlas program later proved vital to the development of the much larger Saturn F-1 engine.

 

Electrical System

 

Added redundancy was made to the propulsion system electrical circuitry to ensure that SECO would occur on time and when commanded. The LOX fuel feed system received added wiring redundancy to ensure that the propellant valves would open in the proper sequence during engine start.

 

Tank Bulkhead

 

Mercury vehicles up to MA-6 had foam insulation in the intermediate bulkhead to prevent the super-chilled LOX from causing the RP-1 to freeze. During repairs to MA-6 prior to John Glenn’s flight, it was decided to remove the insulation for being unnecessary and an impediment during servicing of the boosters in the field. NASA sent out a memo to GD/A requesting that subsequent Mercury-Atlas vehicles not include bulkhead insulation.

 

LOX Turbopump

 

In early 1962, two static engine tests and one launch (Missile 11F) fell victim to LOX turbopump explosions caused by the impeller blades rubbing against the metal casing of the pump and creating a friction spark. This happened after over three years of Atlas flights without any turbopump issues and it was not clear why the rubbing occurred, but all episodes of this happened when the sustainer inlet valve was moving to the flight-ready “open” position and while running untested hardware modifications. A plastic liner was added to the LOX turbopump to prevent friction rubbing. In addition Atlas 113D, the booster used for Wally Schirra’s flight, was given a PFRT (Pre-Flight Readiness Test) to verify proper functionality of the propulsion system.

 

Pneumatic System

 

Mercury vehicles used a standard D-series Atlas pneumatic system, although studies were conducted over the cause of tank pressure fluctuation which was known to occur under certain payload conditions. These studies found that the helium regulator used on early D-series vehicles had a tendency to induce resonant vibration during launch, but several modifications to the pneumatic system had been made since then, including the use of a newer model regulator that did not produce this effect.

 

Propellant Utilization System

 

In the event that the guidance system failed to issue the discreet cutoff command to the sustainer engine and it burned to propellant depletion, there was the possibility of a LOX-rich shutdown which could result in damage to engine components from high temperatures. For safety reasons, the PU system was modified to increase the LOX flow to the sustainer engine ten seconds before SECO. This was to ensure that the LOX supply would be completely exhausted at SECO and prevent a LOX-rich shutdown.

 

Skin

 

After MA-1 was destroyed in-flight due to a structural failure, NASA began requesting that Convair deliver Atlases with thicker skin. Atlas 10D (as well as its backup vehicle 20D which was later used for the first Atlas-Able flight), the booster used for the Big Joe test in September 1959, had sported thick skin and verified that this was needed for the heavy Mercury capsule. Atlas 100D would be the first thick-skinned booster delivered while in the meantime, MA-2’s booster (67D) which was still a thin-skinned model, had to be equipped with a steel reinforcement band at the interface between the capsule and the booster. Under original plans, Atlas 77D was to have been the booster used for MA-3. It received its factory rollout inspection in September 1960, but shortly afterwards, the postflight findings for MA-1 came out which led to the thin-skinned 77D being recalled and replaced by 100D.

 

Guidance

 

The vernier solo phase, which would be used on ICBMs to fine-tune the missile velocity after sustainer cutoff, was eliminated from the guidance program in the interest of simplicity as well as improved performance and lift capacity. Since orbital flights required an extremely different flight path from missiles, the guidance antennas had to be completely redesigned to ensure maximum signal strength. The posigrade rocket motors on the top of the Atlas, designed to push the spent missile away from the warhead, were moved to the Mercury capsule itself. This also necessitated adding a fiberglass insulation shield to the LOX tank dome so it wouldn’t be ruptured by the rocket motors.

 

Engine Alignment

 

A common and normally harmless phenomenon on Atlas vehicles was the tendency of the booster to develop a slight roll in the first few seconds following liftoff due to the autopilot not kicking in yet. On a few flights however, the booster developed enough rolling motion to potentially trigger an abort condition if it had been a crewed launch. Although some roll was naturally imparted by the Atlas’s turbine exhaust, this could not account for the entire problem which instead had more to do with engine alignment. Acceptance data from the engine supplier (Rocketdyne) showed that a group of 81 engines had an average roll movement in the same direction of approximately the same magnitude as that experienced in flight. Although the acceptance test-stand and flight-experience data on individual engines did not correlate, it was determined that offsetting the alignment of the booster engines could counteract this roll motion and minimize the roll tendency at liftoff. After Schirra’s Mercury flight did experience momentary roll problems early in the launch, the change was incorporated into Gordon Cooper’s booster on MA-9.

 

Launches

 

Nine LV-3Bs were launched, two on uncrewed suborbital test flights, three on uncrewed orbital test flights, and four with crewed Mercury spacecraft. Atlas LV-3B launches were conducted from Launch Complex 14 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida.

 

It first flew on July 29, 1960, conducting the suborbital Mercury-Atlas 1 test flight. The rocket suffered a structural failure shortly after launch, and as a result failed to place the spacecraft onto its intended trajectory. In addition to the maiden flight, the first orbital launch, Mercury-Atlas 3 also failed. This failure was due to a problem with the guidance system failing to execute pitch and roll commands, necessitating that the Range Safety Officer destroy the vehicle. The spacecraft separated by means of its launch escape system and was recovered 1.8 kilometers (1.1 mi) from the launch pad.

 

A further series of Mercury launches was planned, which would have used additional LV-3Bs; however these flights were canceled after the success of the initial Mercury missions. The last LV-3B launch was conducted on 15 May 1963, for the launch of Mercury-Atlas 9. NASA originally planned to use leftover LV-3B vehicles to launch Gemini-Agena Target Vehicles, however an increase in funding during 1964 meant that the agency could afford to buy brand-new Atlas SLV-3 vehicles instead, so the idea was scrapped.

 

Mercury-Atlas Vehicles Built and Eventual Disposition

 

•10D—Launched Big Joe 9/14/59

•20D—Backup vehicle for Big Joe. Reassigned to Atlas-Able program and launched 11/26/59.

•50D—Launched Mercury-Atlas 1 7/29/60

•67D—Launched Mercury-Atlas 2 2/21/61

•77D—Original launch vehicle for Mercury-Atlas 3, replaced by Atlas 100D after postflight findings from Mercury-Atlas 1

•88D—Launched Mercury-Atlas 4 9/13/61

•93D—Launched Mercury-Atlas 5 11/29/61

•100D—Launched Mercury-Atlas 3 4/25/61

•103D—Cancelled

•107D—Launched Aurora 7 (Mercury-Atlas 7) 5/24/62

•109D—Launched Friendship 7 (Mercury-Atlas 6) 2/21/62

•113D—Launched Sigma 7 (Mercury-Atlas 8) 10/3/62

•130D—Launched Faith 7 (Mercury-Atlas 9) 5/15/63

•144D—Cancelled, was planned launch vehicle for Mercury-Atlas 10

•152D—Cancelled

•167D—Cancelled

Nikon D800E + 70-200mm F/2.8 Nikkor Lens vs. Sony A7r + 35mm F/2.8 Carl Zeiss Lens! Both in 45surfer bracket configurations, with Sony NEX-6 cameras attached to the upper cameras with a bracket, for shooting stills and video at the same time! Guess which is heavier! :) The new 45surfer rig is a bit lighter, but that will change a bit when Sony comes out with longer zooms for the Sony A7r.

 

Both are great! The Sony NEX-6 bracketed to the D800E has the 50mm F/1.8 lens on it, while the Sony NEX-6 bracketed to the Sony A7R has the 35mm F/2.8 lens on it!

 

Check out some video!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiOMrZIEzg8

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7gq_gCk0jE

 

The Sony ILCE7R A7r rocks! Was using the B+W 49mm Kaesemann Circular Polarizer MRC Filter on partly cloudy day with some intermittent sun, but mostly cloudy. Check out the low glare off the rocks and water and dramatic, polarizwer-enhanced sky! Super sharp images and crystal-clear pictures!

 

Was testing the Sony HVL-F60M External Flash on the Sony A7r. You can see it going off in some of the photos (check the exif if in doubt)--worked great, but it overheated a bit sooner than my Nikon flash on the D800E. But it's all good!

 

Here's some epic goddess video shot at the same time as stills using my 45surfer method/philosophy:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUbE0ay7UeI

www.youtube.com/watch?v=eC-M9fVwk9k

 

Join Johnny Ranger McCoy's youtube channel for goddess video shot @ the same time as the stills with the Sony A7 !

 

www.youtube.com/user/bikiniswimsuitmodels

 

Beautiful swimsuit bikini model goddess on a beautiful December Malibu afternoon! Shot it yesterday. :) Love, love, love the new Sony A7 R!

 

Was a fun test shoot. Many, many more to come!

 

All the best on your Epic Hero's Journey from Johnny Ranger McCoy!

 

Join my facebook!

www.facebook.com/45surfHerosJourneyMythology

Follow me on facebook www.facebook.com/elliot.mcgucken !

Based on the same frame as the Vogon Constructor ship, this version is sleeker and longer, with a more compact engine configuration.

I made this box when I took a class with Tim Holtz, details at my blog:

stampingwithbibiana.blogspot.com/2013/08/tim-holtzconfigu...

Grand Concourse, Bronx, New York City, New York, United States

 

900 Grand Concourse (aka [no number] East 161st Street; [no number] East 162nd Street)

 

Borough of the Bronx Tax Map Block 2460, Lot 1

 

Building Name: Concourse Plaza Hotel Date: 1922-23 (NB 841-1922) Architect/Builder: Maynicke & Franke Original Owner: The Bronx Boosters, Inc. (J.M. Haffen, President)

 

Type: Originally hotel (now senior housing) Style: Colonial Revival Stories: 11 and mezzanine and basement Material(s): Red brick; masonry; terra cotta

 

Special Windows: Round-arched window openings at mezzanine level at central section of base Decorative Metal Work: Possibly historic balconette above main entry; possibly historic light fixtures at main entry

 

Significant Architectural Features: Tripartite vertical configuration; one-story with mezzanine masonry base featuring pedimented window surrounds at the first story, round-arched window openings with small masonry keystones at the mezzanine level, and garland, rosette and cartouche decorative elements; small molded masonry cornice above base; balustraded masonry parapet above central section of base; double-height terra-cotta window surrounds and molded terra-cotta bands (continuous with window surrounds) at capital; shaped parapet with masonry or terra-cotta coping, bas-relief garland and cartouche details, sculptural urn finials, and masonry balustrades at main (west) and south facades

 

Alterations: Painted base; replaced sidelights and transom at main entry; original ballroom at center of facade gutted, roof removed, and converted into open-air courtyard (c. 1980, exterior wall remains but window sashes removed); structural beams added to courtyard at mezzanine level; non-historic brick courtyard walls at first and second stories; upper story of historic two-story restaurant at southern end of facade demolished (see c. 1940s tax photograph for historic configuration); original multi-paned arched fixed sashes and multi-paned double-hung sashes replaced (see c. 1940s tax photograph); large non-historic window sashes at remaining first story of restaurant; main entry remodeled in 1958 (BN 641-1958), including new entrance doors and new marble veneer and possibly further altered later (see c. 1940s tax photograph for original main entry appearance); six rectangular window openings created above mezzanine level to north of courtyard, cut into existing garland details (see c. 1940s tax photographs); two non-original first-story door openings, cut into masonry base trim, subsequently filled in and replaced with window openings; three filled-in mezzanine-level window openings to north of courtyard; filled-in basement window openings, several with louvered vents; original lampposts removed from balustrade above central section of base; awning at main entry; several through-wall air conditioner units; security lights Site Features: Loading dock along east facade; continuous strip of Belgian-block paving at curbline along Grand Concourse, containing planted trees; planted trees within Belgian-block paved planting beds along East 162nd Street

 

Notable History: The Concourse Plaza Hotel was completed in 1923, the same year Yankee Stadium opened just a few blocks to the west; the opening of the hotel was a major event at which New York State Governor Alfred E. Smith spoke; designed to rival the best hotels of Manhattan, the hotel attracted many distinguished guests including renowned Yankee players Babe Ruth, Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle; the banquet rooms of the hotel were highly sought after for events ranging from wedding receptions and bar mitzvahs to political functions; beginning in 1924, it became customary for the Democratic candidate for the presidency to campaign at a ladies' luncheon on the last

 

Saturday before the general election; presidential candidates Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry Truman, and John F. Kennedy are all said to have campaigned at the hotel; in stark contrast to its heyday, the building was converted into a welfare hotel during the general economic decline of the area in the 1960s; in 1975, the City of New York purchased the building with intentions to convert it to a home for the elderly, a project that was delayed due to deteriorating economic conditions in the late 1970s; the building has been occupied as a federally subsidized senior citizens residence since 1982

 

West Facade: Designed (historic, repointed)

 

Door(s): Replaced primary door

 

Windows: Replaced (upper stories); replaced (basement)

 

Security Grilles: Possibly historic (upper stories); possibly historic (basement)

 

Sidewalk Material(s): Concrete

 

Curb Material(s): Concrete with metal nosing

 

North Facade: Designed (historic)

 

Facade Notes: Similar to main (west) facade; stepped parapet with masonry coping and urn finials at outer edges; possibly historic decorative metal security grille at the only basement window opening; repointed; painted base; several replaced brick lintels; windows replaced; four filled-in second-story window openings; secondary door replaced; original entry with double-height portico removed and converted into window openings at the first and mezzanine levels towards western end of facade; other first-story door openings filled in and replaced with window openings; non-historic metal fencing and security gate at entrance to eastern service alley; several through-wall air conditioner units; signage

 

South Facade: Designed (historic)

 

Facade Notes: Similar to main (west) facade but with fewer decorative elements; round-arched window openings at second story; simple masonry window surrounds at second-story window openings topped by small molded cornices on scroll brackets; masonry balustrades at second-story window openings; repointed; painted base; non-historic storefronts not original to building; missing balusters at eastern second-story window opening; several through-wall air conditioner units

 

East Facade: Partially designed (historic) (partially visible)

 

Facade Notes: Red brick at projecting northern and southern portions of facade; beige brick at recessed central portion of facade; some masonry and terra-cotta details from north and south facades continue slightly onto this facade; round-arched second-story window openings at projecting southern portion of facade; non-historic metal railing above second story at projecting non-historic metal railing above second story at projecting southern portion of facade; several through-wall air conditioner units; conduit; electrical boxes.

 

About the historic district:

 

Apartment House Architecture of the Grand Concourse Historic District

 

The facade designs of the 61 apartment houses that comprise the Grand Concourse Historic District developed in two stages, roughly corresponding to the district's two major waves of residential development. The change in apartment house design was largely stylistic, in that many of the architects who practiced within the historic district were responsible for buildings constructed during both the earlier and later waves of development. Among the architects who designed buildings within the historic district are several prolific local firms, including Charles Kreymborg, Gronenberg & Leuchtag, Springsteen & Goldhammer, and Jacob M. Felson. Kreymborg, and the successor firm Charles Kreymborg & Son, are credited with the design of the greatest number of apartment houses within the district, totaling 10, followed by Felson, credited with the design of eight apartments within the district.

 

During the 1920s, Bronx apartment house design evolved from the simple brick buildings of the previous decade into larger and more luxurious structures with grander and more elaborate ornamentation. Builders during this era were more willing to invest extra capital on apartment buildings in order to make them attractive to residents who could afford higher rents and therefore offset increased construction costs. At the same time, builders were turning to prefabricated and less expensive materials, such as brick and terra cotta, to further increase profits wherever possible. Within the historic district, the apartment buildings constructed during the first wave of development almost exclusively employed red or beige textured brick with masonry or terra-cotta decorative elements. In terms of style, these buildings typically reflected the fashions popular in Manhattan, where a historicism based on revivalist architectural styles such as Tudor, Renaissance and Colonial, was the ruling theme for luxury buildings. As noted by Rosenblum, these historically-derived styles were "wonderfully suggestive of faraway places" with many seeming to have "arrived straight from the countryside" - an effective sales pitch for a population looking to escape the overcrowding of the city's more urban districts. The more elaborate buildings from this era featured decorative elements

such as corner towers (Concourse Gardens, 940 and 960 Grand Concourse, 1927, Mediterranean Revival), faux half-timbering (109 East 153rd Street, 1930-31, Tudor Revival), elaborate brickwork including diamond patterning and blind-arch corbelling (825 Gerard Avenue, 1928, Renaissance Revival), classically-decorated main entry porticos (760 Grand Concourse, 1928, Renaissance Revival), and at least one Japanese-inspired interior garden court (Thomas Gardens Apartments, 840 Grand Concourse, 1926-27).

 

Apartment house design within the Bronx was again transformed in the 1930s, once more influenced by predominating Manhattan tastes. During this era, Art Deco and Moderne became the residential styles of choice for the Grand Concourse and the surrounding streets. The Art Deco style, introduced to midtown and downtown Manhattan in the mid-1920s, found its way "uptown" to the Bronx before the end of the decade, and the Bronx soon became one of the great repositories of Art Deco buildings nationwide. The buildings were modern and sophisticated in appearance, utilizing materials such as terra cotta, cast stone, brick and mosaic tiles in new and inventive ways, and incorporating design features including rounded or jagged bays, corner windows, and asymmetrical facade compositions. The style was marked by streamlined elements such as curving walls and abstract decorative detailing (888 Grand Concourse, 1937), recessed or decorated spandrels used to create an effect of continuous vertical window strips (1011 Carroll Place, 1935-36), brickwork arranged in vertical or horizontal patterns (1150 Grand Concourse, 1936-37; 710 Gerard Avenue, 1936), wrap-around corner window openings (730, 740 and 750 Grand Concourse, 1936-1939), and materials suggestive of the "Machine Age," such as steel-and-glass casement windows (now mostly replaced) and decorative metal parapet rails (860 Grand Concourse, 1940-41). The striking Art Deco style building at 888 Grand Concourse, designed by Emery Roth, one of New York City's most renowned apartment house architects, incorporates many of these characteristic features, including three rounded bays, cast-stone decorative elements, and a concave main-entry vestibule featuring beige and gold mosaic tile and terrazzo flooring. The Art Deco-style apartment building at 1150 Grand Concourse, also known colloquially as "the fish building," is notable for its eye-catching mural of tropical fish and water plants in tinted concrete or cast stone and mosaic tiles.

 

Emerging in popularity shortly after Art Deco's rise, the related Moderne style, of which there are ten buildings within the historic district, is similarly characterized by streamlined geometry (910 Sheridan Avenue, 1945-48), but with more minimal ornamentation including horizontal bands designed to suggest "speed lines" and a fascination with aerodynamics (675 Walton Avenue, 1936). Constructed exclusively during the second wave of development, the district's Art Deco and Moderne style buildings are found in small clusters interspersed among the apartment houses built during the earlier boom. The largest cluster within the Grand Concourse Historic District is the group of seven Moderne style buildings located between East 162nd and 163rd Streets, Grand Concourse and Sheridan Avenue (both sides of the street). Largely faced in smooth beige brick, these buildings function in the streetscape as lively, light-colored highlights among their predominantly darker-brick predecessors.

 

Several of the apartment buildings within the Grand Concourse Historic District are also representative of an innovative form of housing - the "garden apartment." This housing type took shape in the late 1910s and 1920s as real estate developers discovered the profitability of building low-rise, relatively low-density apartment buildings on larger lots in areas of the outer boroughs where land was cheap and the demand for modern, technologically up-to-date middle class housing was rising. Architects responded to these conditions by designing larger buildings of no more than six stories that sometimes occupied an entire city block. The buildings were often characterized by groups of apartment units organized around interior and/or exterior courtyards. Many of these apartment buildings, marketed to professionals and upwardly mobile middle-class families, were among the best in the city in terms of architecture, planning, size of living space, and amenities. Housing historian Richard Plunz identified the garden apartment as "critical to the transformation of housing from a consequence of economic formulas to a unique environment" and notes the building type for having "set a standard of urban housing that has remained unmatched since."

 

In 1926, architect Andrew Jackson Thomas, credited as the innovator of the "garden apartment" who had already made a name for himself designing garden apartments in Jackson Heights, Queens and elsewhere, was hired to design an apartment house on the Grand Concourse. Thomas's earlier work had caught the attention and interest of John D. Rockefeller, Jr., who appointed him to design the award winning Dunbar Apartments (1926-28, a designated New York City Landmark) in Central Harlem (the first major non-profit cooperative complex built specifically for African Americans), as well as what would become the Thomas Gardens Apartments at 840 Grand Concourse (1926-28, within the Grand Concourse Historic District). The very large Thomas Gardens complex, designed to accommodate 166 families, was planned as a non-profit cooperative and differed from others constructed around the same time in that it was financed by a private capitalist, as opposed to a workers' union or building residents. The innovative building occupies an entire city block and features a U-shaped plan surrounding what was originally a sunken Japanese- inspired garden courtyard containing a pond and several slightly arched bridges and walkways. Prior to construction of the Bronx County Courthouse (1931-34), there was a strong a visual connection between the courtyard of the Thomas Gardens Apartments and Franz Sigel Park across the street, which added to the calm "protective quality" of the building and its environs.

 

Several other examples of garden apartments are located within the historic district including 975 Walton Avenue (1929-30) designed by Gronenberg & Leuchtag, the Concourse Gardens (North, 940 Grand Concourse, and South, 960 Grand Concourse, 1927) designed by Springsteen & Goldhammer, and 800 Grand Concourse (1953-55) designed by Hyman I. Feldman. All four

complexes feature large interior garden courts around which the apartments are situated. Even the less grand apartment houses within the district were typically built to lot lines and featured large light courts within which main entries are recessed, thereby giving the effect of a garden apartment on more constricted plots of land. In the case of the Franz Sigel (aka Alexandria) and the Virginia Apartments (774 and 780 Grand Concourse, 1926), as well as the apartment buildings at 721 and 735 Walton Avenue (1927), this effect is enhanced by way of shared landscaped courtyards between the buildings.

 

Parks and Public Institutions within the Grand Concourse Historic District

 

Two public parks are located within the Grand Concourse Historic District. Joyce Kilmer Park, a seven-acre expanse just north of the Bronx County Courthouse, was acquired by the parks department in 1924 and planned concurrent with the boulevard's rise as a major residential boulevard. The park, which was dedicated in 1926 for Joyce Kilmer (1886-1918), a poet, journalist, and soldier who was killed during World War I, incorporates a triangular parcel of land, known as Concourse Plaza that originally served as the carriage entrance to the Grand Concourse at East 161st Street. The park, which consists of lawns and formal tree-lined walks, was completely redesigned in 1936. At this time, the park's two existing monuments, which predate the park, were moved to their present locations within the park. One of the monuments, a statue of Louis J. Heintz by Pierre Fietu, was dedicated in 1909, the year the Grand Concourse opened, in honor of the Bronx's first commissioner of street improvements. The other monument, the Henrich Heine Fountain, also known as the Lorelei Fountain, celebrates the German poet Henrich Heine (1797-1856), author of an ode to Die Lorelei, a siren from German mythology who is the subject of the sculpture. The fountain was initially designed by German-born sculptor Ernst Herter for the sculptor's home city of Dusseldorf, but its installation there was blocked by political groups opposed to Heine's Jewish ancestry and political views. It was brought to the Bronx in 1899 by a group of Americans of German ancestry.

 

In contrast to the manicured lawns of Joyce Kilmer Park is the 16-acre Franz Sigel Park, located to the south of the Bronx County Courthouse. The park consists of terraced landscapes featuring densely packed trees, steeply sloping natural expanses with massive stone outcroppings, and rough-faced historic stone walls of varying heights. Though plans dating to the 1930s show proposals to formalize the park's circulation system, the paths that exist today are mostly unchanged from the early 20th century. Most of the land that comprises the park was purchased by the city from Gerard and Mary Walton in 1885, whose estate, Cedar Grove, was the inspiration for the original name of the park - Cedar Park. The land played an integral role in the early history of the area as well, beginning with the west slope of the park which was once part of a Native American pathway, and continuing with Revolutionary War, during which George Washington, Count de Rochambeau, and their respective military staff used a high rocky ridge within the park to monitor the movements of British troops camped along the Harlem River. In 1902, the park was named for German native Franz Sigel (1824-1902), an educator, soldier, journalist, public official, and Bronx resident.

 

A handful of public institutions, constructed during the 1920s and 1930s, complement the apartment houses of the Grand Concourse Historic District. The Bronx County Courthouse (a designated New York City Landmark), constructed between 1931 and 1934 along the Grand Concourse at East 161st Street, is one of New York City's most imposing civic structures. The courthouse is the work of architects Max Hausle and Joseph H. Freedlander, who designed the building in collaboration with noted sculptors and artisans. Designed in a style that combines boldly modern massing with neo-classical elements, the courthouse is an exceptionally impressive example of the publically funded architecture of the period. The new courthouse opened in 1934 following a festive three-day dedication celebration. In honor of the occasion, Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia officially transferred the seat of municipal government for three days from City Hall to the Bronx County Courthouse. The dedication ceremonies, which also marked the 20th anniversary of the Bronx as a county, further included speeches, a military parade and band concert, as well as luncheons at the Concourse Plaza Hotel located across the street.

 

The Andrew Freedman Home (a designated New York City Landmark), constructed between 1922 and 1924 (and enlarged in 1928-31), located along the Grand Concourse at East 166th Street, was the result of a generous bequest in the will of Andrew Freedman. Freedman, a businessman who had a close relationship with the leaders of Tammany Hall, was involved with many profitable business ventures, including the construction of the IRT, New York City's first subway line. Upon his death, Freedman left most of his amassed fortune for the establishment of a home for "aged and indigent persons of both sexes," with the unusual proviso that the residents of the home be poor people who had once been in good circumstances. The Board of Trustees, led by prominent lawyer Samuel Untermyer, purchased a large plot of land on the prestigious boulevard and commissioned a building from two notable New York architects - Freedlander, who would later be involved with designing the Bronx County Courthouse, and Harry Allan Jacobs. The resulting building is an exceptional example of a monumental building which, through its symmetrical massing, fenestration, and handsome detail, recalls the tradition of the Italian Renaissance palazzo. Its design displays many handsome architectural features, including a recessed loggia, balustraded terrace, finely cut stonework, and beautiful wrought-iron details. The building functioned as a refuge for the once affluent for 59 years, from its opening in 1924 until 1983, when the Andrew Freedman Home ceased to operate and the building was purchased by the Mid-Bronx Senior Citizens Council as housing for the elderly.

 

The third notable public institution constructed along the Grand Concourse within the historic district was the Bronx Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children at 1130 Grand Concourse, built between 1925 and 1926. The main entrance to the three-story red brick and limestone building, designed by architects Raldiris & LaVelle (with a later addition by Leo Stillman), is elevated above ground level and features a set of double dog-leg staircases to either side of a three-story Corinthian

portico which provides the building with a distinctive monumentality. The building was purchased in 1951 by the Bronx Young Men's and Women's Hebrew Association, and later sold to the Girls Club of New York in 1980. Since 1993 it has served as one of many locations for the social service organization Bronx Works (originally the Citizens Advice Bureau) which offers programs for children, youth and families, and which merged with the Girls Club in 1995.

 

Subsequent History

 

By the late 1950s/early 1960s, the Bronx had entered into a period of profound transformation. Numerous forces, including heavy-handed urban renewal policies, disinvestment by area landlords, and the redlining of much of the Bronx by local banks, all contributed to an economic downturn. At the same time, the forces of suburbanization were creating a massive exodus of working- and middle-class, predominantly white urban dwellers to the suburbs and single-family homes of Westchester County and Long Island. The borough was concurrently experiencing an influx of new residents, largely consisting of African Americans from the south and Puerto Rican- born citizens, who came to New York in search of work and better opportunities. However, just as the thousands of new residents were pouring into New York, the very opportunities that attracted them to the city - stable, well-paying factory jobs - were leaving the northeast and Midwest for the suburbs, the south, and eventually overseas. The newcomers were generally blocked from settling in the suburbs by racial covenants and other discriminatory practices, and were forced to settle in already overcrowded existing lower-rent neighborhoods throughout the city. During this era, the Bronx's once venerable housing stock was seen as lacking modern amenities and areas like the

Grand Concourse came to be seen as old, poor neighborhoods with cheap rents.

 

Unable to raise rents due to rent control laws, landlords began to cut down on maintenance, renting to poorer, subsidized families, inducing tenant turnover (which allowed them to raise rents), and failing to pay taxes; they then either walked away from or sold the buildings to the city for slum clearance. The result was a seemingly endless cycle of massive residential displacement and disinvestment. Landlords felt less and less incentive to maintain their buildings and often let conditions deteriorate with the complicit assistance of banks and insurance companies with little interest in supporting ethnically diverse or economically struggling neighborhoods.

 

The last apartment house built within the Grand Concourse Historic District, the Executive Towers at 1020 Grand Concourse, was intended to help stabilize the neighborhood. Designed by architect Philip Birnbaum between 1959 and 1963, the Executive Towers were touted in real estate brochures dating to the time of construction as "the first luxury skyscraper in the Bronx." Tenants who moved into the high-rise tower, which featured undulating balconies and nearly 450 apartments, were treated to the relatively novel amenity of central air conditioning. As noted by Rosenblum, for many, the 23-story Modern style building, like the buildings on the boulevard before it, represented a step up in the world. Yet the neighborhood continued to struggle. The Executive Towers, and others that might have been built like it, simply could not compete with the draw of newer developments, such as nearby Co-op City, a massive co-operative housing complex consisting of 35 towers, nearly 250 townhouses (for a total of more than 15,000 apartments), three shopping centers, half-a dozen public schools, and space for 10,500 cars, which attracted many Grand Concourse residents.

 

Though economic conditions throughout New York City continued to worsen during the 1970s, the solid construction of the buildings within the Grand Concourse Historic District helped them survive largely unscathed - even through decades of owner neglect. The elegant Concourse Plaza Hotel, for example, had begun to lose luster in the post-war era, running into financial difficulties in the mid-1950s when the real estate syndicate that operated the hotel was charged with fraud. By the 1960s, the building had been converted into a "welfare hotel," with a varying population of both permanent and temporary residents housed under the city's emergency relocation program. During this period, the hotel's once hallowed ballrooms were being used for bingo games, meetings, dances, and in the early 1970s, a controversial discotheque called the Tunnel. In 1975, the City of New York purchased the building with intentions to convert it into a home for the elderly, but this project was much delayed due to further deteriorating economic conditions in the late 1970s. In 1982, the Concourse Plaza Hotel finally reopened as a federally subsidized senior citizens residence, and has functioned successfully in this capacity ever since. Though the legendary ballroom did not survive the transition, the building has suffered few exterior changes.

 

During the 1980s, many Bronx landlords began to work successfully with community organizations and tenants using private and public financing, tax incentives and rent subsidies for the moderate rehabilitation of multifamily housing. The Thomas Gardens Apartments (840 Grand Concourse), for example, whose pipes had burst and whose floors were buckling in the early 1980s, underwent significant rehabilitation work including the installation of 160 new windows and the expenditure of $50,000 on parapets and bulkheads. Other signs of neighborhood resurgence were also evident during the 1980s, including the expansion of the Bronx Museum of the Arts (1040 Grand Concourse). Originally built as a synagogue and community hall for Young Israel of the Concourse in 1961, the then-vacant building was purchased by the city for the museum in 1982. The former synagogue building was renovated in 1988 by the firm of Castro-Blanco, Piscioneri & Associates, who gave the building an updated appearance and glass atrium, and the museum has continued to thrive in its new home.

 

In 1989, a "Special Grand Concourse Preservation District" was established as part of the New York City Zoning Resolution, designed to protect the existing form and residential character of the buildings along the boulevard, as well as encourage new development in keeping with the existing scale and character of the area. The special district resulted in the Grand Concourse once again beginning to see building activity. As noted by Rosenblum, by the end of the 20th century, a growing number of "star architects" were leaving an imprint on and near the boulevard. The Bronx Housing Courthouse (1118 Grand Concourse), for example, constructed between 1990 and 1999, was designed by architect Rafael Vinoly as part of the Grand Concourse Preservation District. As described by Vinoly, the new courthouse building "participates in a dialogue" with the other buildings of civic importance along the Grand Concourse, "responds to the geometry and volumetric configurations of the immediately adjacent buildings," and also "respectfully adapts to the street wall height of its residential neighbor to the South." Yet another vote of confidence in the neighborhood's resurgence came with the $55 million renovation and second expansion of the Bronx Museum of the Arts, completed in 2006 by the high-profile Miami-based firm Arquitectonica.

 

Today, the Grand Concourse is home to vibrant mix of working- and middle-class residents, including immigrants from the Americas, the Caribbean and Africa. To suit the needs and demands of a modern population, some retrofitting of the buildings of the past generation has been required. Along the Grand Concourse this has resulted in the creation of first-story and basement level stores and offices, which began cropping up spottily in the 1980s. The trend continued for the next two decades, and in 2003 it was reported that "almost every block between 161st Street and 196th Street now has a grocery, a barber shop, a travel agency or a medical clinic, and some stretches are chockablock with stores and large, eye-catching signs." Despite the visual disruption in the streetscape, however, residents enjoy the convenience of the stores and the jobs that they provide, which they see as helping to ensure the future vitality of the residential district.

 

The Grand Concourse itself has undergone unsympathetic physical changes. During the 1960s and 1970s, for example, the boulevard's grass median was replaced with green-painted cement. By the 1980s, the roadway had become "a driver's paradise" with stoplights timed to keep cars moving and bright green highway-style exit signs. Beginning in the early 1990s, however, community leaders and politicians took steps to make the roadway more pedestrian-friendly, including increasing the number of walk signals, staggering traffic lights, and reducing the number of highway-style signs. Further reconstruction, completed in 2008 on time for the boulevard's centennial, included replacing underpass structures, narrowing service roads, raising planted medians, planting new trees, adding distinctive paving and new light fixtures, and incorporating new roadways, traffic patterns, sidewalks and dedicated bike lanes. As a result, the broad boulevard - the backbone of the great apartment houses, grand civic structures, and bucolic parks of the Grand Concourse Historic District - remains an important visual element that contributes to the district's powerful sense of place. Despite the economic hardships that were felt not just within the Bronx, but New York City as a whole in the mid-century, the structures that comprise the district have survived highly intact, retaining the architectural details and distinctive character that attracted residents to the area in the 1920s and 1930s, and which continues to attract newcomers today.

 

- From the 2011 NYCLPC Historic District Designation Report

17º puesto. Reto Mensual AFT. Enero 2016. Tema "Terror basado en películas"

+++ DISCLAIMER +++

Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based historical facts. BEWARE!

  

Some background:

The P-74 "Charger" was a fighter aircraft built by Lockheed for the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF). Its configuration was unusual as it was designed as a twin boom pusher configuration, where the propeller is mounted in the rear of the fuselage, pushing the aircraft forward.

 

The P-74 entered service with the USAAF in late 1944, its conception dated back to 1939 when the U.S. Army Air Corps requested with the Circular Proposal R40C domestic manufacturers to develop high performance fighter types, allowing (even demanding) unusual configurations. Lockheed did not respond immediately and missed the chance to sign a development contract in mid-1940 until early 1941. Twenty-three proposals were submitted to R40C, and after a fist selection of ideas three companies, Vultee with the large XP-54 Swoose Goose, Curtiss with its XP-55 Ascender and Northrop's XP-56 Black Bullet were able to secure prototype contracts.

 

Vultee eventually won the competition, but all these innovative new aircraft suffered from various flaws or development delays, missing various performance goals, so that none ever entered service.

 

In the meantime, Lockheed had been working on the 1939 request in the background on a private venture basis, as it was clear that by 1944 a successor to the company's own P-38 Lightning had to be offered to the USAAC.

The new North American P-51 Mustang was also a sharp competitor, esp. for the Pacific conflict theatre where long range was needed. This role was filled out very well by the P-38, but it was a relatively large and complicated aircraft, so an alternative with a single engine was strived for. Even though jet engines already showed their potential, it was clear that the requested range for the new type could only be achieved through a piston engine.

 

This aircraft became the XP-74, originally christened “Laelaps”, following Lockheed’s tradition, after a female Greek mythological dog who never failed to catch what she was hunting. It was presented as a mock-up to USAAC officials on August 8th 1942 and immediately found sponsorship: with the disappointing results from the XP-54,55 and 56 was immediately ushered into the prototype stage. Its name, though, was rejected, and the more common name “Charger” was adopted.

 

Just like Lockheed’s successful P-38 the XP-74 Charger was designed as a twin-boom aircraft, but it was driven by only a single Packard (License-built Rolls Royce Merlin) V-1650 pusher engine in the aft part of the fuselage. The tail was mounted rearward between two mid-wing booms, with a four-bladed 12-ft propeller between them. The design also included a "ducted wing section" developed by the NACA that enabled installation of cooling radiators and intercoolers in the wing root section.

 

The advantages of a pusher design are that the view forward is unobstructed and armament can be concentrated in the nose, while a major drawback is difficulty in escaping from the aircraft in an emergency, as the pilot could get drawn into the propeller blades. Lockheed deliberated between systems that would eject the pilot, or jettison the propeller or the engine, via a system of explosive bolts. Lockheed eventually installed an early ejector seat which was driven by pressurized air, combined with a mechanism that would blow the canopy off. The system was successfully tested in summer 1943, even though skepticism remained among pilots.

 

Initial armament comprised one 20mm Hispano cannon and four 12.7mm Browning machine guns, the same as in the P-38, but two machine guns were relocated from the nose into the front ends of the tail booms because of the new aircraft’s smaller overall dimensions.

 

The first prototype was ready in October 1943, with a different engine and heavier armor fitted. The second prototype was built to this specification from the start, which would become the serial production standard, the P-74A.

The P-74A used the new V-1650-9 engine, a version of the Merlin that included Simmons automatic supercharger boost control with water injection, allowing War Emergency Power as high as 2,218 hp (1,500 kW). Another change concerned the armament: a longer weapon range was deemed necessary, so the gun armament was changed into four 20mm Hispano cannons, two of the placed in the fuselage nose and one in each tail boom front end. Each gun was supplied with 250 RPG.

 

Alternatively, a nose installment with a single 37mm cannon and two 12.7mm Browning MGs was tested on the first prototype, but this arrangement was found to be less effective than the four 20mm cannons. Another factor that turned this option down was the more complicated logistics demands for three different calibers in one aircraft.

 

The P-74A was ready for service in summer 1944, but its deployment into the Pacific region took until December – the 5th Air Force first units replaced most of its P-38 and also early P-47Ds with the P-74A.These new aircraft had their first clashes with Japanese forces in January 1945.

 

The P-74 was used in a variety of roles. It was designed as an intreceptor against bombers, but its good range and handling at all altitudes made it suitable for tasks like fighter sweeps against enemy airfields, support for U.S. ground forces and protection of sea convoys and transport routes.

While the P-74 could not out-turn the A6M Zero and most other Japanese fighters when flying below 200 mph (320 km/h), its superior speed coupled with a good rate of climb meant that it could utilize energy tactics, making multiple high-speed passes at its target. Also, its focused firepower was deadly to lightly armored Japanese warplanes.

 

Because of its late service introduction, only 305 P-74s were ever produced until the end of hostilities, and they were exclusively used in the Pacific theatre. The P-74's service record shows mixed results, but usually because of misinformation. P-74s have been described as being harder to fly than traditional, single-engined aircraft, but this was because of inadequate training in the first few months of service.

Another drawback was the ejection seat system – it worked basically well, but the tank for the pressurized air turned out to be very vulnerable to enemy fire. Several P-74s literally exploded in midair after cannon fire hits, and this poeblem could only be cured when the tank section behind the cockpit received a more rigid structure and additional armor. Anyway, the P-74 was quickly retired after WWII, as the USAAF focussed on P-47 and P-51.

  

General characteristics

Crew: 1

Length: 10.45 m (34 ft 3 in)

Wingspan: 11.6 m (38 ft 0 in)

Height: 3.97 (13 ft 0 in)

Wing area: 22.2 m² (238.87 ft²)

Empty weight: 3,250 kg (7,165 lb)

Loaded weight: 4,150 kg (9,149 lb)

Max. take-off weight: 4,413 kg (9,730 lb)

 

Powerplant:

1× Packard (License-built Rolls Royce Merlin) V-1650-9 ,

rated at 1,380 hp (1,030 kW) and 2,218 hp (1,500 kW) w. water injection

 

Performance

Maximum speed: 640 km/h (343 knots, 398 mph)

Cruise speed: 495 km/h (265 knots, 308 mph)

Range: 1,105 mi (1,778 km)

Ferry range: 1,330 nmi (1,530 mi, 2,460 km)

Service ceiling: 11,000 m (36,090 ft)

Rate of climb: 15 m/s (2,950 ft/min)

 

Armament

4× 20 mm (0.79 in) Hispano-Suiza HS.404 cannons with 250 RPG

2× hardpoints for up to 2,000 lb (907 kg) of bombs, 6 or 10× T64 5.0 in (127 mm) H.V.A.R rockets

  

The kit and its assembly:

This whif was inspired by a CG rendition of a Saab J21 in a natural metal finish and with (spurious) USAAF markings, probably a skin for a flight simulator. Anyway, I was more or less enchanted by the NMF on the Saab – I had to build one, and it would become the P-74, the only USAF fighter code that had never been used.

 

The kit is the venerable Heller Saab J21A, an “old style” design with raised panel lines. But it is still around and affordable. No big mods were made to the kit during its transition into a USAAF fighter, even though I changed some minor things:

● Main landing gear was completely exchanged through struts from an Airfix A-1 Skyraider and the wheels from a Hasegawa P-51D; thin wire was added as hydraulic tubes

● New propeller blades: instead of the three-bladed original I added four much broader blades with square tips (from a Heller P-51D) to the original spinner

● Different exhaust stubs, which actually belong to a Spitfire Merlin (Special Hobby kit)

● Underfuselage flap was slightly opened

● A pilot figure was added to the nice cockpit

● The gun barrels were replaced with hollow styrene tubes

  

Painting and markings:

NMF was certain, but the rest…? I wanted to have a colorful aircraft, and eventually settled for a machine in the Pacific theatre of operations. When I browsed for options I eventually decided to apply broad black stripes on wings and fuselage, typical 5th Air Force markings that were used e. g. on P-47Ds and P-51Ds.

 

Overall design benchmark for my aircraft is a P-47D-28 of 310th FS/58th FG. The tail would be all white, and the rudder sported red and white stripes, early war insignia. The red nose trim and the deep yellow spinner were taken over from this aircraft, too. The blue individual code number is a personal addition, as well as the nose art, which was puzzled together from a Czech 'Perdubice' Meeting MiG-21 and leftover bits from a Pacific use P-51.

 

The aircraft was basically painted with Aluminum Metallizer (Humbrol 27002) and Polished Steel Metallizer (Modelmaster), and some panels were contrasted with Aluminum (Humbrol 56).

The anti-glare panel in front of the cockpit was painted in Olive Drab (Humbrol 66), the red nose trim with Humbrol 19. The tail was painted with a mix of Humbrol 34 & 196, for a very light grey, and later dry-painted with pure white.

 

The black ID stripes as well as the red and blue rudder trim were not painted, but rather created through decal sheet material (from TL Modellbau), cut to size and shape to fit into their respective places. The tail was a PITA, but for the black stripes this turned out to be very effective and convenient - an experiment that willcertainly see more future use.

 

Cockpit interior was painted in Humbrol 226 (Cockpit Green) and Zinc Chromate Green from Model Master, the landing gear wells received a chrome yellow primer (Humbrol 225) finish.

The landing gear struts were kept in bare Aluminum.

 

For weathering the kit received a rubbing treatment with grinded graphite, which adds a dark, metallic shine and emphasizes the kit’s raised panel lines. Some dry painting with Aluminum was added, too, simulating chipped paint on the leading edges, and on the black ID stripes some dark grey shading was added.

  

A relatively simple whif, but I love how the Saab 21 looks in the unusual, shiny NMF finish - and the USAAF markings with the prominent ID stripes suit it well, even though it looks a bit like a circus attraction now?

Spanish Air Force NH90 GSPA Std.2 in Special Operations configuration

The Citroën DS (French pronunciation: ​[si.tʁɔ.ˈɛn de ɛs]) is a front-engine, front-wheel-drive executive car manufactured and marketed by the French company Citroën from 1955 to 1975 in sedan, wagon/estate and convertible body configurations. Italian sculptor and industrial designer Flaminio Bertoni and the French aeronautical engineer André Lefèbvre styled and engineered the car. Paul Magès developed the hydropneumatic self-levelling suspension.

 

Noted for its aerodynamic, futuristic body design and innovative technology, the DS set new standards in ride quality, handling, and braking—and was the first production car equipped with disc brakes.

 

Citroën sold 1,455,746 examples, including 1,330,755 built at the manufacturer's Paris Quai André-Citroën production plant.

 

The DS came third in the 1999 Car of the Century poll recognizing the world's most influential auto designs and was named the most beautiful car of all time by Classic & Sports Car magazine

 

MODEL HISTORY

After 18 years of secret development as the successor to the Traction Avant, the DS 19 was introduced on 5 October 1955 at the Paris Motor Show. In the first 15 minutes of the show, 743 orders were taken, and orders for the first day totalled 12,000. During the 10 days of the show, the DS took in 80,000 deposits; a record that has stood for over 60 years.

 

Contemporary journalists said the DS pushed the envelope in the ride vs. handling compromise possible in a motor vehicle.

 

To a France still deep in reconstruction after the devastation of World War II, and also building its identity in the post-colonial world, the DS was a symbol of French ingenuity. The DS was distributed to many territories throughout the world.

 

It also posited the nation's relevance in the Space Age, during the global race for technology of the Cold War. Structuralist philosopher Roland Barthes, in an essay about the car, said that it looked as if it had "fallen from the sky". An American advertisement summarised this selling point: "It takes a special person to drive a special car".

 

Because they were owned by the technologically aggressive tire manufacturer Michelin, Citroën had designed their cars around the technically superior radial tire since 1948, and the DS was no exception.

 

The car featured a novel hydropneumatic suspension including an automatic leveling system and variable ground clearance, developed in-house by Paul Magès. This suspension allowed the DS to travel quickly on the poor road surfaces common in France.

 

In addition, the vehicle had power steering and a semi-automatic transmission (the transmission required no clutch pedal, but gears still had to be shifted by hand), though the shift lever controlled a powered hydraulic shift mechanism in place of a mechanical linkage, and a fibreglass roof which lowered the centre of gravity and so reduced weight transfer. Inboard front brakes (as well as independent suspension) reduced unsprung weight. Different front and rear track widths and tyre sizes reduced the unequal tyre loading, which is well known to promote understeer, typical of front-engined and front-wheel drive cars.

 

As with all French cars, the DS design was affected by the tax horsepower system, which effectively mandated very small engines. Unlike the Traction Avant predecessor, there was no top-of-range model with a powerful six-cylinder engine. Citroën had planned an air-cooled flat-6 engine for the car, but did not have the funds to put the prototype engine into production.

 

The DS placed third in the 1999 Car of the Century competition, and fifth on Automobile Magazine's "100 Coolest Cars" listing in 2005. It was also named the most beautiful car of all time by Classic & Sports Car magazine after a poll of 20 world-renowned car designers, including Giorgetto Giugiaro, Ian Callum, Roy Axe, Paul Bracq, and Leonardo Fioravanti.

 

NAME

Both the DS and its simpler sibling, the ID, used a punning name. "DS" is pronounced in French as "Déesse" (goddess); "ID" is pronounced as "Idée" (idea). An intermediate model was called the DW.

 

MOTORSPORT

The DS was successful in motorsports like rallying, where sustained speeds on poor surfaces are paramount, and won the Monte Carlo Rally in 1959. In the 1000 Lakes Rally, Pauli Toivonen drove a DS19 to victory in 1962.

 

In 1966, the DS won the Monte Carlo Rally again, with some controversy as the competitive BMC Mini-Cooper team was disqualified due to rule infractions. Ironically, Mini was involved with DS competition again two years later, when a drunk driver in a Mini in Sydney Australia crashed into the DS that was leading the 1968 London–Sydney Marathon, 98 miles from the finish line. The DS was still competitive in the grueling 1974 London-Sahara-Munich World Cup Rally, where it won over 70 other cars, only 5 of which even completed the entire event.

 

TECHNICAL INNOVATION - HYDRAULIC SYSTEMS

In conventional cars, hydraulics are only used in brakes and power steering. In the DS they were also used for the suspension, clutch and transmission. The cheaper 1957 ID19 did have manual steering and a simplified power-braking system. An engine driven pump pressurizes the closed system to 2,400 pounds per square inch.

 

At a time when few passenger vehicles had independent suspension on all wheels, the application of the hydraulic system to the car's suspension system to provide a self-levelling system was an innovative move. This suspension allowed the car to achieve sharp handling combined with very high ride quality, frequently compared to a "magic carpet".

 

The hydropneumatic suspension used was pioneered the year before, on the rear of another car from Citroën, the top of range Traction Avant 15CV-H.

 

IMPACT ON CITROEN BRAND DEVELOPMENT

The 1955 DS cemented the Citroën brand name as an automotive innovator, building on the success of the Traction Avant, which had been the world's first mass-produced unitary body front-wheel-drive car in 1934. In fact, the DS caused such a huge sensation that Citroën was apprehensive that future models would not be of the same bold standard. No clean sheet new models were introduced from 1955 to 1970.

 

The DS was a large, expensive executive car and a downward brand extension was attempted, but without result. Throughout the late 1950s and 1960s Citroën developed many new vehicles for the very large, profitable market segments between the 2CV and the DS, occupied by vehicles like the Peugeot 403, Renault 16 and Ford Cortina, but none made it into production. Either they had uneconomic build costs, or were ordinary "me too" cars, not up to the company's high standard of innovation. As Citroën was owned by Michelin from 1934 to 1974 as a sort of research laboratory, such broad experimentation was possible. Michelin after all was getting a powerful advertisement for the capabilities of the radial tire Michelin had invented, when such experimentation was successful.

 

New models based on the small, utilitarian 2CV economy car were introduced, notably the 1961 Ami. It was also designed by Flaminio Bertoni and aimed to combine Three-box styling with the chassis of the 2CV. The Ami was very successful in France, but less so on export markets. Many found the styling controversial, and the car noisy and underpowered. The Dyane, was a modernised 2CV with a hatchback, competed with the 2CV inspired Renault 4 Hatchback. All these 2 cylinder models were very small, so there remained a wide market gap to the DS range all through the 1960s.

 

In 1970, Citroën finally introduced a car to target the mid-range - the Citroën GS, which won the "European car of the Year" for 1971 and sold 2.5 million units. It combined a small 55 horsepower flat-4 air-cooled engine with Hydropneumatic suspension. The intended 106 horsepower Wankel rotary-engined version with more power did not reach full production.

 

REPLACING THE DS

The DS remained popular and competitive throughout its production run. Its peak production year was 1970. Certain design elements like the somewhat narrow cabin, column-mounted gearstick, and separate fenders began to seem a little old-fashioned in the 1970s.

 

Citroën invested enormous resources to design and launch an entirely new vehicle in 1970, the SM, which was in effect a thoroughly modernized DS, with similar length, but greater width. The manual gearbox was a modified DS unit. The front disc brakes were the same design. Axles, wheel bearings, steering knuckles, and hydraulic components were either DS parts or modified DS parts.

 

The SM had a different purpose than replacing the 15-year-old DS design however - it was meant to launch Citroën into a completely new luxury grand touring market segment. Only fitted with a costly, exotic Maserati engine, the SM was faster and much more expensive than the DS. The SM was not designed to be a practical 4-door saloon suitable as a large family car, the key market for vehicles of this type in Europe. Typically, manufacturers would introduce low-volume coupés based on parts shared with an existing saloon, not as unique models, a contemporary example being the Mercedes-Benz SLC-Class.

 

The SM's high price and limited utility of the 2+2 seating configuration, meant the SM as actually produced could not seize the mantle from the DS.

 

So, while the design funds invested would allow the DS to be replaced by two cars - a 'modern DS' and the smaller CX, it was left to the CX alone to provide Citroën's large family or executive car in the model range.

 

The last DS came off the production line on 24 April 1975 - the manufacturer had taken the elementary precaution of building up approximately eight-month's of inventory of the "break" (estate/station wagon) version of the DS, to cover the period till Autumn 1975 when the estate/station wagon version of the CX would be introduced.

 

DEVELOPMENT

The DS always maintained its size and shape, with easily removable, unstressed body panels, but certain design changes did occur. During the 20-year production life improvements were made on an ongoing basis.

ID 19 submodel to extend brand downwards (1957–69)

 

The 1955 DS19 was 65% more expensive than the car it replaced, the Citroën Traction Avant. This affected potential sales in a country still recovering economically from World War II, so a cheaper submodel, the Citroën ID, was introduced in 1957.

 

The ID shared the DS's body but was less powerful and luxurious. Although it shared the engine capacity of the DS engine (at this stage 1,911 cc), the ID provided a maximum power output of only 69 hp compared to the 75 hp claimed for the DS19. Power outputs were further differentiated in 1961 when the DS19 acquired a Weber-32 twin bodied carburettor, and the increasing availability of higher octane fuel enabled the manufacturer to increase the compression ratio from 7.5:1 to 8.5:1. A new DS19 now came with a promised 83 hp of power. The ID19 was also more traditional mechanically: it had no power steering and had conventional transmission and clutch instead of the DS's hydraulically controlled set-up. Initially the basic ID19 was sold on the French market with a price saving of more than 25% against the DS, although the differential was reduced at the end of 1961 when the manufacturer quietly withdrew the entry level ID19 "Normale" from sale. A station wagon variant, the ID Break, was introduced in 1958.

 

D SPECIAL AND D SUPER (1970–75)

The ID was replaced by the D Spécial and D Super in 1970, but these retained the lower specification position in the range. The D Super was available with the DS21 2175ccm engine and a 5 speed gearbox, and named the D Super 5.

 

SERIE 2 - NOSE REDESIGN IN 1962

In September 1962, the DS was restyled with a more aerodynamically efficient nose, better ventilation and other improvements. It retained the open two headlamp appearance, but was available with an optional set of driving lights mounted on the front fenders. All models in the range changed nose design at the same time, including the ID and station wagon models.

Series 3 - Nose redesign in 1967 with Directional headlights

 

In late 1967, for the 1968 model year, the DS and ID was again restyled, by Robert Opron, who also styled the 1970 SM and 1974 CX. This version had a more streamlined headlamp design, giving the car a notably shark-like appearance. This design had four headlights under a smooth glass canopy, and the inner set swivelled with the steering wheel. This allowed the driver to see "around" turns, especially valuable on twisting roads driven at high speed at night.

 

Behind each glass cover lens, the inboard high-beam headlamp swivels by up to 80° as the driver steers, throwing the beam along the driver's intended path rather than uselessly across the curved road. The outboard low-beam headlamps are self-leveling in response to pitching caused by acceleration and braking.

 

However, this feature was not allowed in the US at the time (see World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations), so a version with four exposed headlights that did not swivel was made for the US market.

 

This 'turning headlight' feature was new to the market - it had only been seen before on the very rare three headlight 1935 Tatra 77A. The Tucker, which never was mass-produced, had a central headlight that turned with the steering. 45 years later, it is now a commonly available feature, even in the United States.

 

NEW GREEN HYDRAULIC FLUID

The original hydropneumatic system used a vegetable oil liquide hydraulique végétal (LHV), similar to that used in other cars at the time, but later switched to a synthetic fluid liquide hydraulique synthétique (LHS). Both of these had the disadvantage that they are hygroscopic, as is the case with most brake fluids. Disuse allows water to enter the hydraulic components causing deterioration and expensive maintenance work. The difficulty with hygroscopic hydraulic fluid was exacerbated in the DS/ID due to the extreme rise and fall in the fluid level in the reservoir, which went from nearly full to nearly empty when the suspension extended to maximum height and the six accumulators in the system filled with fluid. With every "inhalation" of fresh moisture- (and dust-) laden air, the fluid absorbed more water.

 

For the 1967 model year, Citroën introduced a new mineral oil-based fluid LHM (Liquide Hydraulique Minéral). This fluid was much less harsh on the system. LHM remained in use within Citroën until the Xantia was discontinued in 2001.

 

LHM required completely different materials for the seals. Using either fluid in the incorrect system would completely destroy the hydraulic seals very quickly. To help avoid this problem, Citroën added a bright green dye to the LHM fluid and also painted all hydraulic elements bright green. The former LHS parts were painted black.

 

All models, including the station wagon and ID, were upgraded at the same time. The hydraulic fluid changed to the technically superior LHM in all markets except the US and Canada, where the change did not take place until January 1969, due to local regulations.

 

INTERNATIONAL SALES AND PRODUCTION

The DS was primarily manufactured at the Quai André-Citroën in the Javel neighborhood of Paris, with other manufacturing facilities in the United Kingdom, South Africa, the former Yugoslavia (mostly Break Ambulances), and Australia.

 

Australia constructed their own D variant in the 1960s at Heidelberg, Victoria, identified as the ID 19 "Parisienne." Australian market cars were fitted with options as standard equipment such as the "DSpecial DeLuxe" that were not available on domestic European models.

 

Until 1965, cars were assembled at the manufacturer's Slough premises, to the west of London, using a combination of French made knock down kits and locally sourced components, some of them machined on site. A French electrical system superseded the British one on the Slough cars in 1962, giving rise to a switch to "continental style" negative earthing. After 1965 cars for the British market were imported fully assembled from the company's French plant. The British-built cars are distinguished by their leather seats, wooden (early ID19 models) one piece plastic (early DS19 models) dashboards, chromed number plate mount let into the front bumper, and (on pre-1962 cars) Lucas-made electrics. These were all right hand drive cars.

 

The DS was built and sold in South Africa from 1959 to 1975.

 

The DS was sold in Japan, but the models were built in France and left hand drive.

 

DS IN NORTH AMERICA

The DS was sold in North America from 1956 to 1972. Despite its popularity in Europe, it didn't sell well in the United States, and little better in Canada. While promoted as a luxury car, it did not have the basic features that American buyers expected to find on such a vehicle, such as an automatic transmission, air conditioning, power windows, or a powerful engine. The DS was designed specifically to address the French market, with punitive tax horsepower taxation of large engines, as well as very poor roads – it's no great mystery that it was a fish out of water when those constraints were removed.

 

Jay Leno described the sporadic supply of spare parts as a problem for 1970s era customers, based on his early experiences working at a Citroën dealer in Boston.

 

The DS was expensive, with a 115 hp (86 kW) vehicle costing $4,170 in 1969, when the price was $4,500 for a 360 hp (268 kW) Buick Electra 225 4 door sedan. For all years, 38,000 units were sold.

 

US regulations at the time also banned one of the car's more advanced features: its composite headlamps with aerodynamic covered lenses. Based on legislation that dated from 1940, all automobiles sold in the U.S. were required to have round, sealed beam headlamps that produced a meager 75,000 candlepower. The powerful quartz iodine swiveling headlamps designed for the 1968 model DS represented so many performance improvements at once that they were far beyond what the regulations could allow.[50] Even the aerodynamic headlight covers were illegal – as seen on the 1968 Jaguar E-Type. It took the lobbying muscle of Ford to point out that the government was requiring two contradictory things – safety, by ensuring that all headlights were best-of-breed circa 1940, and fuel economy through the CAFE standard – by definition, cars with poor aerodynamics are sacrificing fuel economy. Composite bulb lamps and aerodynamic covered headlights were not permitted until 1983.

 

The European lamps were legal in Canada, including the directional headlamps.

 

The hydraulic fluid change in 1967 was another brain teaser for U.S. automotive regulators at the Department of Transportation. NHTSA follows the precautionary principle, also used by the Food and Drug Administration, where new innovations are prohibited until their developers can prove them to the regulators; this stifles the experimentation that automakers need to advance their products. NHTSA had already approved a brake fluid they considered safe – DOT 3 brake fluid, which is red and hygroscopic to promote internal rust. This completely different fluid, used in aircraft applications – the technically superior green LHM (Liquide Hydraulique Mineral) – took NHTSA two years to analyze for automotive use. Approval finally came in January 1969, so half the U.S. cars of the 1969 model year use red fluid and half use green fluid.

 

DESIGN VARIATIONS

PALLAS

In 1965 a luxury upgrade, the DS Pallas (after Greek goddess Pallas), was introduced. This included comfort features such as better noise insulation, a more luxurious (and optional leather) upholstery and external trim embellishments. From 1966 the Pallas model received a driver's seat with height adjustment.

 

STATION WAGON, FAMILIALE AND AMBULANCE

A station wagon version was introduced in 1958. It was known by various names in different markets (Break in France, Safari and Estate in the UK, Wagon in the US, and Citroën Australia used the terms Safari and Station-Wagon). It had a steel roof to support the standard roof rack. 'Familiales' had a rear seat mounted further back in the cabin, with three folding seats between the front and rear squabs. The standard Break had two side-facing seats in the main load area at the back.

 

The Ambulance configuration was similar to that of the Break, but with a 60/30 split in the rear folding seat to accommodate a stretcher. A 'Commerciale' version was also available for a time.

 

The Safari saw use as a camera car, notably by the BBC. The hydropneumatic suspension produces an unusually steady platform for filming while driving.

 

CONVERTIBLE

Rarest and most collectable of all DS variants, a convertible was offered from 1958 until 1973. The Cabriolet d'Usine (factory convertible) were built by French carrossier Henri Chapron, for the Citroën dealer network. It was an expensive car, so only 1,365 were sold. These DS convertibles used a special frame which was reinforced on the sidemembers and rear suspension swingarm bearing box, similar to, but not identical to the Break (Station Wagon) frame.

 

CHAPRON VARIATIONS

In addition, Chapron also produced a few coupés, non-works convertibles and special sedans (including the "Prestige", same wheelbase but with a central divider, and the "Lorraine" notchback).

 

BOSSAERT COUPE

Between 1959 and 1964, Hector Bossaert produced a coupé on a DS chassis shortened by 470 mm. While the front end remained unchanged, the rear end featured notchback styling.

 

THE REACTOR

In 1965, noted American auto customizer Gene Winfield created The Reactor, a Citroën DS chassis, with a turbocharged 180 hp (130 kW) flat-six engine from the Corvair driving the front wheels. Since the DS already had the engine behind the front wheels, the longer engine meant only one row of seats. This was draped in a streamlined, low slung, aluminum body.

 

The Reactor was seen in American Television programs of the era, such as Star Trek: The Original Series episode 2.25 ("Bread and Circuses)," Batman episodes 110 ("Funny Feline Felonies") and 111 (driven by Catwoman Eartha Kitt), and Bewitched, which devoted its episode 3.19 ("Super Car") to The Reactor.

 

MICHELIN PLR

The Michelin PLR is a mobile tire evaluation machine, based on the DS Break, built in 1972, later used for promotion.

Technical details

 

SUSPENSION

In a hydropneumatic suspension system, each wheel is connected, not to a spring, but to a hydraulic suspension unit consisting of a hydraulic accumulator sphere of about 12 cm in diameter containing pressurised nitrogen, a cylinder containing hydraulic fluid screwed to the suspension sphere, a piston inside the cylinder connected by levers to the suspension itself, and a damper valve between the piston and the sphere. A membrane in the sphere prevented the nitrogen from escaping. The motion of the wheels translated to a motion of the piston, which acted on the oil in the nitrogen cushion and provided the spring effect. The damper valve took place of the shock absorber in conventional suspensions. The hydraulic cylinder was fed with hydraulic fluid from the main pressure reservoir via a height corrector, a valve controlled by the mid-position of the anti-roll bar connected to the axle. If the suspension was too low, the height corrector introduced high-pressure fluid; if it was too high, it released fluid back to the fluid reservoir. In this manner, a constant ride height was maintained. A control in the cabin allowed the driver to select one of five heights: normal riding height, two slightly higher riding heights for poor terrain, and two extreme positions for changing wheels. (The correct term, oleopneumatic (oil-air), has never gained widespread use. Hydropneumatic (water-air) continues to be preferred overwhelmingly.)

 

The DS did not have a jack for lifting the car off the ground. Instead, the hydraulic system enabled wheel changes with the aid of a simple adjustable stand. To change a flat tyre, one would adjust the suspension to its topmost setting, insert the stand into a special peg near the flat tyre, then readjust the suspension to its lowermost setting. The flat tyre would then retract upwards and hover above ground, ready to be changed. This system, used on the SM also, was superseded on the CX by a screw jack that, after the suspension was raised to the high position, lifted the tire clear of the ground. The DS system, while impressive to use, sometimes dropped the car quite suddenly, especially if the stand was not placed precisely or the ground was soft or unlevel.

 

SOURCE AND RESERVE OF PRESSURE

The central part of the hydraulic system was the high pressure pump, which maintained a pressure of between 130 and 150 bar in two accumulators. These accumulators were very similar in construction to the suspension spheres. One was dedicated to the front brakes, and the other ran the other hydraulic systems. (On the simpler ID models, the front brakes operated from the main accumulator.) Thus in case of a hydraulic failure, the first indication would be that the steering became heavy, followed by the gearbox not working; only later would the brakes fail.

 

Two different hydraulic pumps were used. The DS used a seven-cylinder axial piston pump driven off two belts and delivering 175 bar (2,540 psi) of pressure. The ID19, with its simpler hydraulic system, had a single-cylinder pump driven by an eccentric on the camshaft.

 

GEARBOX AND CLUTCH

HYDRAULIQUE OR CITROMATIC

The DS was initially offered only with the "hydraulique" four-speed semi-automatic (bvh—"boîte de vitesses hydraulique") gearbox.

 

This was a four-speed gearbox and clutch, operated by a hydraulic controller. To change gears, the driver flicked a lever behind the steering wheel to the next position and eased-up on the accelerator pedal. The hydraulic controller disengaged the clutch, engaged the nominated gear, and re-engaged the clutch. The speed of engagement of the clutch was controlled by a centrifugal regulator sensing engine rpm and driven off the camshaft by a belt, the position of the butterfly valve in the carburettor (i.e., the position of the accelerator), and the brake circuit. When the brake was pressed, the engine idle speed dropped to an rpm below the clutch engagement speed, thus preventing friction while stopped in gear at traffic lights. When the brake was released, the idle speed increased to the clutch dragging speed. The car would then creep forward much like automatic transmission cars. This drop in idle throttle position also caused the car to have more engine drag when the brakes were applied even before the car slowed to the idle speed in gear, preventing the engine from pulling against the brakes. In the event of loss of hydraulic pressure (following loss of system fluid), the clutch would disengage, to prevent driving, while brake pressure reserves would allow safe braking to standstill.

 

MANUAL - FOUR SPEED AND FIVE-SPEED

The later and simpler ID19 had the same gearbox and clutch, manually operated. This configuration was offered as a cheaper option for the DS in 1963. The mechanical aspects of the gearbox and clutch were completely conventional and the same elements were used in the ID 19. In September 1970, Citroën introduced a five-speed manual gearbox, in addition to the original four-speed unit.

 

FULLY AUTOMATIC

In September 1971 Citroën introduced a 3-speed fully automatic Borg-Warner 35 transmission gearbox, on the DS 21 and later DS 23 models. It is ironic that the fully automatic transmission DS was never sold in the US market, where this type of transmission had gained market share so quickly that it became the majority of the market by this time. Many automatic DSs, fuel-injected DS 23 sedans with air conditioning, were sold in Australia.

 

ENGINES

The DS was originally designed around an air-cooled flat-six based on the design of the 2-cylinder engine of the 2CV, similar to the motor in the Porsche 911. Technical and monetary problems forced this idea to be scrapped.

 

Thus, for such a modern car, the engine of the original DS 19 was also old-fashioned. It was derived from the engine of the 11CV Traction Avant (models 11B and 11C). It was an OHV four-cylinder engine with three main bearings and wet liners, and a bore of 78 mm and a stroke of 100 mm, giving a volumetric displacement of 1911 cc. The cylinder head had been reworked; the 11C had a reverse-flow cast iron cylinder head and generated 60 hp (45 kW) at 3800 rpm; by contrast, the DS 19 had an aluminium cross-flow head with hemispherical combustion chambers and generated 75 hp (56 kW) at 4500 rpm.

 

Like the Traction Avant, the DS had the gearbox mounted in front of the engine, with the differential in between. Thus some consider the DS to be a mid engine front-wheel drive car.

 

The DS and ID powerplants evolved throughout its 20-year production life. The car was underpowered and faced constant mechanical changes to boost the performance of the four-cylinder engine. The initial 1911 cc three main bearing engine (carried forward from the Traction Avant) of the DS 19 was replaced in 1965 with the 1985 cc five-bearing wet-cylinder motor, becoming the DS 19a (called DS 20 from September 1969).

 

The DS 21 was also introduced for model year 1965. This was a 2175 cc, five main bearing engine; power was 109 hp This engine received a substantial increase in power with the introduction of Bosch electronic fuel injection for 1970, making the DS one of the first mass-market cars to use electronic fuel injection. Power of the carbureted version also increased slightly at the same time, owing to the employment of larger inlet valves.

 

Lastly, 1973 saw the introduction of the 2347 cc engine of the DS 23 in both carbureted and fuel-injected forms. The DS 23 with electronic fuel injection was the most powerful production model, producing 141 hp (105 kW).

 

IDs and their variants went through a similar evolution, generally lagging the DS by about one year. ID saloon models never received the DS 23 engine or fuel injection, although the Break/Familiale versions received the carburetted version of the DS 23 engine when it was introduced, supplemented the DS20 Break/Familiale.

 

The top of the range ID model, The DSuper5 (DP) gained the DS21 engine (the only model that this engine was retained in) for the 1973 model year and it was mated to a five-speed gearbox. This should not be confused with the 1985 cc DSuper fitted with an optional "low ratio" five-speed gearbox, or with the previous DS21M (DJ) five-speed.

 

IN POPULAR CULTURE

President Charles de Gaulle survived an assassination attempt at Le Petit-Clamart near Paris on August 22, 1962, planned by Algerian War veteran Jean-Marie Bastien-Thiry. The plan was to ambush the motorcade with machine guns, disable the vehicles, and then close in for the kill. De Gaulle praised the unusual abilities of his unarmoured DS with saving his life – the car was peppered with bullets, and the shots had punctured the tyres, but the car could still escape at full speed. This event was accurately recreated in the 1973 film The Day of the Jackal.

 

Beyond de Gaulle and the French aristocracy, the roomy DS also appealed to French taxi drivers.

 

Outside France, the car drew an eclectic customer mix, such as Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, Pope John XXIII, painter Marc Chagall, and actors Ken Berry, Jeff Bridges, and Rosamund Pike.

 

The DS appeared in several episodes of contemporary television series Mission: Impossible, including substantial appearances in 'The Slave' (ep. 2.06) and 'Robot' (ep. 4.09).

 

An ode to Jane Child's DS21 appears on her 1989 self-titled album.

 

In 1989, the film Back to the Future Part II featured a modified Citroen DS as a flying taxicab, when the main characters travel 30 years into the future (2015). Scarface (1983 film) with Al Pacino and the 2009 television series The Mentalist both feature the DS in key roles. According to Internet Movie Cars Database, the DS/ID has made over 2,000 film and television appearances so far.

 

Two films focus on the DS, including The Goddess of 1967 about a Japanese man purchasing a DS (goddess or déesse in French) in Australia, and 1995's Icelandic-Japanese road movie Cold Fever.

 

LEGACY

Citroën DS values have been rising – a 1973 DS 23 Injection Electronique "Decapotable" (Chapron Convertible) sold for EUR €176,250 (USD $209,738) at Christie's Rétromobile in February 2006. and a similar car sold by Bonhams in February 2009 brought EUR €343,497 (USD $440,436). On 18 September 2009 a 1966 DS21 Decapotable Usine was sold by Bonhams for a hammer price of UK£131,300. Bonhams sold another DS21 Decapotable (1973) on 23 January 2010 for EUR €189,000.

 

The DS's beloved place in French society was demonstrated in Paris on 9 October 2005 with a celebration of the 50th anniversary of its launch. 1,600 DS cars drove in procession past the Arc de Triomphe.

 

From 2005 to 2008, a young Frenchman named Manuel Boileau travelled around the world in a 1971 DS ambulance. It was an 80,000 kilometer journey across 38 countries called Lunaya World Tour. While traveling through Laos, he located the forlorn 1974 DS Prestige belonging to Sisavang Vatthana, the last King of the Kingdom of Laos, which is now preserved and restored by specialists in Bangkok.

 

In 2009, Groupe PSA created a new brand - DS Automobiles, intended as high quality, high specification variations on existing models, with differing mechanics and bodywork. This brand ranges across four models, the DS3, DS4, DS5, and the China-only SUV DS 6. The DS3, launched in March 2010, is based on Citroen's new C3, but is more customisable and unique, bearing some resemblance to the original DS, with its "Shark Fin" side pillar. These have created their own niches, with the DS4 being a mix of a crossover and a coupe and the DS5 mixing a coupe and an estate. Many feature hybrid-diesel engines to maximise efficiency.

 

WIKIPEDIA

+++ DISCLAIMER +++

Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based on historical facts. BEWARE!

  

Some background:

When, towards late 1945, the Einheits-Chassis for the German combat tanks (the "E" series of medium and heavy tanks) reached the front lines, several heavily armed anti-aircraft turrets had been developed, including the 30mm Kugelblitz, based on the outdated Panzer IV, the "Coelian" turret with various armament options for the Panzer V Panther hull, and there were twin 55 mm as well as single and even 88mm cannon systems for the new E-50, E-75 and E-100 chassis'.

 

With these new weapons for medium- and high-altitude targets, Firepower was considerably increased, but the tank crews still had to rely on traditional visual tracking and aiming of targets. One potential solution in which the German Heeresleitung was highly interested from the start was the use of the Luftwaffe’s new radar technology for early target identification and as an aiming aid in poor weather conditions or even at night. The German Luftwaffe first introduced an airborne interception radar in 1942, but these systems were bulky and relied upon large bipolar antenna arrays. These were not suitable for any use in a ground vehicle, lest to say in a tank that would also carry weapons and ammunition.

 

A potential solution appeared in late 1944 with the development of the FuG 240 "Berlin". It was an airborne interception radar, too, but it was the first German radar to be based on the cavity magnetron, which eliminated the need for the large multiple dipole-based antenna arrays seen on earlier radars, thereby greatly increasing the performance of the night fighters. The FuG 240 with a rotating dish antenna was introduced by Telefunken in April 1945, primarily in Junkers Ju 88G-6 night-fighters, behind a plywood radome which considerably improved aerodynamics. This so greatly reduced drag compared to the late-model Lichtenstein and Neptun systems that the fighters regained their pre-radar speeds and made them competitive again. The FuG 240 was effective against bomber-sized targets at distances of up to 9 kilometers (5.5 mi), or down to 0.5 kilometer, which eliminated the need for a second, short-range radar system.

Right before the FuG 240's roll-out with the Luftwaffe, the Heer insisted on a ground-based derivative for its anti-aircraft units. Political pressure from Berlin convinced the RLM to share the new technology, and Telefunken was ushered to adapt the radar system to an armored ground vehicle in February 1945.

 

It soon became clear that the FuG 240 had several drawbacks for this task. On one side, ground clutter and the natural horizon limited the system's range and low-level effectiveness, but its 9 km range in free space made high altitude surveillance possible – just enough for the effective interception of Allied bombers that attacked important point targets. Furthermore, the whole system, together with its power supply and a dirigible dish antenna, took up a lot of space, so that its integration into a tank-based anti-aircraft vehicle like an SPAAG as an autonomous, stand-alone solution was ruled out.

 

A workable solution eventually came as a technical and tactical compromise: the army’s anti-aircraft tanks were to be grouped together in so-called Panzer-Fla-Züge, which consisted of several (typically four) SPAAGs and an additional, dedicated radar surveillance and command unit, so that the radar could guide the tank crews towards incoming targets – even though the gun crews still had to rely on visual targeting.

 

Two respective guidance vehicles developed, a light and a heavy one. The light one, intended against low-flying targets like the Ilyushin Il-2 on the Eastern front, became the 8x8 Funkmess-/Flak-Kommandowagen Sd.Kfz. 234/6. The heavy variant, with a bigger antenna and a more powerful emitter, became the Mittlerer Funkmess-/Flak-Kommandopanzer Sd.Kfz. 282. In contrast to the light and compact Sd.Kfz. 234/6, the Sd.Kfz. 282’s complete radar and observation system was installed in a new turret, so that it could be simply mounted onto the new E-50 Einheitspanzer battle tank hull.

This new, box-shaped turret had been developed by Rheinmetall, together with Telefunken, and was based on the turret design for the new 55 mm twin anti-aircraft cannon. It had a maximum armor of 60mm at the front and held all of the radar equipment, christened "Basilisk", after the monster from medieval mythology with a petrifying sight. The turret held a crew of three: a commander, a radar operator, and an observer for the optical rangefinder. The rest of the crew, the driver and a radio operator, sat in the hull. No armament was fitted, even though a light machine gun could be mounted on the roof for self-defense, even though it could not be operated from the inside. A heavier armament was not deemed necessary since the vehicle would stay close to the heavily armed tanks/SPAAGs it would typically accompany.

 

The Basilisk radar’s rotating dish antenna had a diameter of 90 cm (35 ½ inches) and was installed at the turret's front under a hard vinyl cover. Power of the modified FuG 240 was 25kW, with a search angle of +80/− 5° and a frequency range: 3,250–3,330MHz (~10 cm). Range was, due the bigger antenna and a higher emitter output, increased to 0.5–11.0 kilometer, even though only under ideal conditions. Power came from a dedicated generator that was connected to the E-50’s V-12 Maybach HL 234 gasoline engine.

 

Beyond the radar system, the vehicle was furthermore equipped with a powerful visual coincidence range finder in the turret, combined with an analogue computer, the Kommandogerät (KDO) 40 Telemeter. This system had been introduced in 1941 as a guidance tool for stationary anti-aircraft units equipped with the 88 mm and the 105 mm Flak, but it had so far – due to its size and bulk – only been deployed on an unarmored trailer

The KDO 40 and similar sights worked as follows: Light from the target entered the range finder through two windows located at either end of the instrument. At either side, the incident beam was reflected to the center of the optical bar by a pentaprism, and this optical bar was ideally made from a material with a low coefficient of thermal expansion so that optical path lengths would not change significantly with temperature. The reflected beam first passed through an objective lens and was then merged with the beam of the opposing side with an ocular prism sub-assembly to form two images of the target which were viewed by the observer through the eyepiece. Since either beam entered the instrument at a slightly different angle the resulting image, if unaltered, would appear blurry. Therefore, in one arm of the instrument, a compensator was integrated which could be adjusted by the operator to tilt the beam until the two images matched. At this point, the images were said to be in coincidence. The degree of rotation of the compensator determined the range to the target by simple triangulation, allowing the calculation of the distance to the observed object.

 

Fixed target reading with the device mounted in the Sd.Kfz. 282 turret was possible on targets from 3,000 to 20,000 m. Aerial courses could be recorded at all levels of flight and at a slant range between 4,000 and 18,000 m - enough for visual identification beyond an anti-aircraft group's effective gun ranges and perfectly suitable for long range observation, so that the Sd.Kfz. 282 also had excellent reconnaissance and observation capabilities. The rangefinder’s optical bar had a massive span of 400 cm (157.5 in) and went right through the turret, just above the radar device installation. The whole device, together with its armored fairing, was 4,60 m (15 ft 1 in) wide, so that it protruded from the turret on both sides over the lower hull. The odd and unwieldy installation quickly earned the vehicle nicknames like "Hirsch (stag)", "Zwo-Ender" (a young stag with just two antlers) or “Ameise” (ant). None of these were official, though. In order to protect the Telemeter on the way, the turret was normally turned by 90° and hidden under a tarpaulin, in order not to give away any details of the highly classified equipment.

 

However, development of the Einheitspanzer family lagged behind schedule, and in early 1945 no E-50 chassis was available for the highly specialized Sd.Kfz. 282 – battle tanks and SPGs were in higher demand. As an alternative, the turret was quickly adapted for different tank hulls, namely the Sd.Kfz. 171, the Panzer V ‘Panther’ medium tank and the heavy Sd.Kfz. 181 ‘Tiger I’. Tests with both hulls in spring 1945 were successful, but only the lighter ‘Panther’ hull was chosen because it was lighter overall, more mobile and available in sufficient numbers for a quick roll-out. In this configuration, the system received the designation Sd.Kfz. 282/1, while the original Sd.Kfz. 282 designation was reserved for the originally planned E-50 chassis variant.

 

The first vehicles reached, together with the new FlaK tanks, the front units in September 1945. Operating independently, they were primarily allocated to the defense of important production sites and the city of Berlin, and they supported tank divisions through early warning duties and visual long-range reconnaissance. Operationally, the Sd.Kfz. 282’s sensor setup with its combined visual and radar input turned out to be surprisingly successful. The combination of the Basilisk radar with the KDO 40 rangefinder allowed a time from initial target acquisition to the first AA shot of less than 20 seconds, which was impressive for the time – typically, simple visual target acquisition took 30 seconds or more. First shot hit probability was appreciably improved, too, and even quick passes of aircraft at low altitudes could be precalculated, if the radar was not obstructed.

However, the radar remained capricious, its performance rather limited and the unarmored antenna fairing at the turret’s front was easily damaged in combat, even by heavy machinegun fire. But the Sd.Kfz. 282 offered, when the vehicle was placed in a location with a relatively free field of view (e. g. on a wide forest clearance or in an open field), a sufficient early warning performance against incoming bombers at medium to high altitudes, and it also appreciably mobilized the bulky but valuable KDO 40 device. It now could easily be moved around and keep up with the pace of motorized battle groups that the Panzer-Fla-Züge units were supposed to protect.

 

Until the end of hostilities, probably thirty Sd.Kfz. 282/1s were completed from newly built (Ausf. F, recognizable through the simpler all-metal wheels) or from refurbished earlier Panzer V chassis of various types before production switched in early 1946 to the E-50 chassis which had eventually become available in sufficient numbers.

  

Specifications:

Crew: Five (commander, radar operator, observer, driver, radio-operator/hull machine gunner)

Weight: 41.2 tonnes (40.4 long tons; 45.3 short tons)

Length (hull only): 6.87 m (22 ft 6 in)

Width: 3.42 m (11 ft 3 in) hull only

4,60 m (15 ft 1 in) overall

Height: 2.95 m (9 ft 8 in)

Suspension: Double torsion bar, interleaved road wheels

Fuel capacity: 720 litres (160 imp gal; 190 US gal)

 

Armor:

15–80 mm (0.6 – 3.15 in)

 

Performance:

Maximum road speed: 48 km/h (30 mph)

Operational range: 250 km (160 mi)

Power/weight: 15.39 PS (11.5 kW)/tonne (13.77 hp/ton)

 

Engine:

Maybach HL230 P30 V-12 petrol engine with 700 PS (690 hp, 515 kW)

ZF AK 7-200 gear; 7 forward 1 reverse

 

Armament:

1× 7.92 mm MG 34 machine gun in the front glacis plate with 2.500 rounds

Optional MG 34 or 42 machine gun with 1.500 rounds on the turret

  

The kit and its assembly:

Another submission to the “Recce & Surveillance” group build at whatifmodellers.com in July 2021, and actually a good occasion to tackle a project that I had on my list for some years. A long while ago I bought a resin conversion set with a (purely fictional) Heer ‘46 anti-aircraft surveillance radar system, based on an E-50 chassis. Unfortunately, I cannot identify the manufacturer, but this 1:72 conversion set was/is nicely molded, with delicate details, no bubbles or flash and it even came with a commander figure for an optional open hatch on top as well as a pair of delicate brass antennae.

 

Even though I could have mounted this replacement turret onto a Trumpeter or Modelcollect E-50/75 chassis, I rather decided to create an earlier (1945 time frame) interim vehicle on a late Panzer V ‘Panther’ basis, mostly because it would be more compact and I doubt that brand new E-50/75s would have been “wasted” on second line/support vehicles like this mobile surveillance/commando post for anti-aircraft units?

 

The Panther chassis is the old Hasegawa kit for an Ausf. G tank from 1973, chosen because of its good fit, simplicity and the vinyl tracks, which I prefer. However, the kit clearly shows its age and some weak/soft details (e. g. the gratings on the engine deck), but it was enough for my plans and easy to handle.

 

Both turret and hull were built separately and basically OOB, combined with an adjusted turret ring. The Kdo 40’s “antlers” are to be glued directly to the turret’s flanks, but I reinforced the connections with wire. I also replaced the set’s brass antennae with heated sprue material and used a surplus PE detail set from a Modelcollect E-50/75 to hide the crude engine openings and change the overall look of the Panther a little. Some storage boxes as well as spare track links were added to the flanks, stuff collected from the scrap box.

To emphasize the refurbished character of the vehicle I left away the Panther’s side skirts – these were easily lost in battle, anyway, and probably have rather been allocated to battle tanks than to 2nd line support vehicles, despite leaving the Panther’s lower hull under the mudguards vulnerable.

  

Painting and markings:

Even though the paint scheme on this model is based on German standard colors, it is a little special. Late in real-world WWII some Panzer Vs received a unique, uniform RAL 6003 (Olivgrün) factory finish instead of the usual all-over RAL 7028 (Dunkelgelb) or the bare oxide red primer finish, onto which the frontline units would add individual camouflage, depending on the theatre of operations and whatever paint or application tool was at hand. This special green livery was adopted for the model, including the new turret. The individual camouflage consists of diagonal stripes in Dunkelgelb and Rotbraun (RAL 8017), added on top of the green basis with rather sharp and straight edges and only to the vertical surfaces. The practice to leave out the horizontal surfaces was called “Sparanstrich” (literally “economy paintwork”), an attempt to save the more and more scarce paint.

This rather odd style was actually applied to several late war Panther tanks – even though I am personally not certain about this pattern’s effectiveness? Maybe a kind of dazzle effect was sought for?

 

The basic green became a modern-day RAL 6003 from the rattle can (which is very close to FS 34102, just a tad lighter), applied in a rather cloudy fashion on top of an initial coat of Oxide Red primer (RAL 3009) overall, also from the rattle can. On top of that the stripes were painted with a brush, partly masked but mostly free-handedly. For some variation I used this time Tamiya XF-60 (a rather pale interpretation of Dunkelgelb which IMHO lacks a greenish hue and rather looks like a desert sand tone) and XF-64 (a rich whole milk chocolate tone) to create the additional camouflage, not fully opaque so that the impression of thinly/hastily applied paint was reinforced.

Once dry, the whole surface received a very dark brown washing with thinned acrylic paint and surface details were emphasized through dry-brushing with earth brown and beige.

For a different look (and to break up the tank’s bulky outlines) I applied camouflage nets to the model, realized with gauze bandages drenched in Tamyia XF-62 (Olive Drab) and mounted into place around the turret and at the front of the hull while still slightly wet.

 

Decals were puzzled together from various German tank sheets. The kit was sealed with matt acrylic varnish, what also fixed the cammo nets in place. The originally shiny black vinyl tracks were also painted/weathered, with a wet-in-wet mix of grey, iron, black and red brown (all acrylics). Once mounted into place, mud and dust were simulated around the running gear and the lower hull with a greyish-brown mix of artist mineral pigments.

  

Not a spectacular build, but I am happy that I eventually had the opportunity and motivation to tackle this project that had been lingering for years in the The Stash™. The result looks really good – the anonymous resin set is/was excellent, and combined with the Panther hull, the whole thing looks very credible. I am only a bit sad that the odd, almost artistic camouflage got a little lost under the cammo nets and the equipment on the hull, and the dust/dirt on the lower areas blurs the three basic colors even more. Well, you cannot have everything at once, and I might re-use this scheme on a “cleaner” future build.

Here are the six unique configurations of headlight brick squares that I found and their mirror images.

 

I found a good way to describe these squares is to tell whether the tops, bottoms, fronts, or backs are facing into the middle of the square or to the outside of the square.

 

Using this, I can say:

 

A has 4 tops and 4 backs facing outwards.

 

B has 3 tops and 3 backs facing outwards.

 

D has 2 tops and 2 backs facing outwards, but is not rotationally symmetric.

 

F has 2 tops and 2 backs facing outwards, and has a 2-fold rotational symmetry.

 

H has 1 top and 1 back facing outwards.

 

P has 0 tops and 0 backs facing outwards.

  

For the most part, each unique configuration has a unique number of tops and backs facing outwards (or, conversely, fronts and bottoms facing inwards). There are two possible configurations with 2 and 2; one of those is rotationally symmetric and the other is not.

 

Further things for me to explore include analyzing the different rectangles created on the edges of these "squares" as well as investigating whether there are any differences in the patterns that these squares will make.

 

Wow, I feel like I'm back in school writing up lab reports or something. :-)

the ride during PBPA Xmas reunion.....

 

Bus No: 792

Year released: 2001

Capacity: 53; 2x2 seating configuration

Route: Cubao/Pasay-San Carlos via Dau/SCTEX-Concepcion/Capas/Tarlac/Camiling/Bayambang/Malasiqui

Body: Five Star Bus Body(rebodied)

Previous Body: 2001 SR-EXFOH AC Series

Chassis: Nissan Diesel RB46S

Engine: Nissan Diesel PE6T

Fare: Airconditioned

Transmission System: M/T

Plate No.: TWC-501(NCR-National Capital Region)

Taken on: December 19, 2011

Location: Five Star Bus Terminal, EDSA, Cubao, Quezon City

Nikon D800E + 70-200mm F/2.8 Nikkor Lens vs. Sony A7r + 35mm F/2.8 Carl Zeiss Lens! Both in 45surfer bracket configurations, with Sony NEX-6 cameras attached to the upper cameras with a bracket, for shooting stills and video at the same time! Guess which is heavier! :) The new 45surfer rig is a bit lighter, but that will change a bit when Sony comes out with longer zooms for the Sony A7r.

 

Both are great! The Sony NEX-6 bracketed to the D800E has the 50mm F/1.8 lens on it, while the Sony NEX-6 bracketed to the Sony A7R has the 35mm F/2.8 lens on it!

 

Check out some video!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiOMrZIEzg8

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7gq_gCk0jE

 

The Sony ILCE7R A7r rocks! Was using the B+W 49mm Kaesemann Circular Polarizer MRC Filter on partly cloudy day with some intermittent sun, but mostly cloudy. Check out the low glare off the rocks and water and dramatic, polarizwer-enhanced sky! Super sharp images and crystal-clear pictures!

 

Was testing the Sony HVL-F60M External Flash on the Sony A7r. You can see it going off in some of the photos (check the exif if in doubt)--worked great, but it overheated a bit sooner than my Nikon flash on the D800E. But it's all good!

 

Here's some epic goddess video shot at the same time as stills using my 45surfer method/philosophy:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUbE0ay7UeI

www.youtube.com/watch?v=eC-M9fVwk9k

 

Join Johnny Ranger McCoy's youtube channel for goddess video shot @ the same time as the stills with the Sony A7 !

 

www.youtube.com/user/bikiniswimsuitmodels

 

Beautiful swimsuit bikini model goddess on a beautiful December Malibu afternoon! Shot it yesterday. :) Love, love, love the new Sony A7 R!

 

Was a fun test shoot. Many, many more to come!

 

All the best on your Epic Hero's Journey from Johnny Ranger McCoy!

 

Join my facebook!

www.facebook.com/45surfHerosJourneyMythology

Follow me on facebook www.facebook.com/elliot.mcgucken !

Wireless Web Enabled Camera Monitoring Systems.

 

www.monitor-systems-engineering.com/wireless_web_enabled_...

 

Monitor Systems Engineering (Pixavi) are major players in the field of high definition wireless camera based communication, conferencing and monitoring systems. Monitor Systems Engineering SUPPLY, INSTALL and COMMISSION Wireless Web Enabled Camera Monitoring Systems for all key industries; (1) oil and gas, (2) manufacturing, (3) energy, (4) shipping and yards, (5) surveillance, (6) teli-medicine, (7) police, (8) fire fighting, (9) peacekeeping, (10) journalism and (11) architecture.

 

By limiting the need for long and costly cabling and wiring, Monitor Systems Engineering provides a high quality, cost effective wireless solution. Monitor Systems Engineering are able to deliver various wireless camera configurations and solutions for your industry and specific application.

 

Industry Scenarios

 

Wireless Web Enabled Camera Monitoring Systems.

 

(1) oil and gas: The complexity of the offshore oil rigs, often required very dedicated service persons that can quickly determine faults should they arise. However, on some occasions, the call for even greater knowledge resources are required to help recommend a proper service action, in order to prevent a shut down. The Xcaster EX-5000, Ex certified, wireless video conferencing system, is able to combat the toughest of elements and situations.

 

With real-time video and audio, the offshore service persons can seek assistance from onshore knowledge banks, to determine the best and most safest routine to complete the service job.

 

(2) manufacturing: A car manufacturer has a team of 20 crash test experts located all around the world. The manufacturer has built a brand new crash test center at a certain location. Traditionally the experts would travel to this site once a month to perform crash tests and evaluate the results. Today, this crash test center is using Monitor Systems wireless video conferencing products to communicate, document and analyze crash tests. The experts can stay at their fixed location and do not have to spend valuable time and resources on travel.

 

Cut your costs with a system from Monitor Systems Engineering, contact us today for more details about what we can offer your key industry.

 

(3) energy: A power company has several power plants in operation. Often times, service personnel are required to assist in a resource heavy maintenance routine, but due to logistical complications, it just is not possible to travel to the site when the problem arises.

 

Enter the Xcaster ST-5000 and its real-time, video and audio capabilities. Service personnel on site, can send images and audio to other knowledgeable centers for help in order to make critical repair recommendations, so that the equipment and the power plant can continue to operate.

 

(4) shipping and yards: A shipyard in Korea is building a ship for a Norwegian company. The complexity of ship building puts complex demands on communication between the vendor and the customer. By utilizing wireless video conferencing and advanced unified communication, the two parties are able to solve complex problems without having to travel to the site and thereby saves both time and cost.

 

The Xcaster series of products allows for quick and reliable remote collaboration from the field, in order to help make solid and exact build recommendations.

 

(5) surveillance: A large sporting event is planned in one of the world’s biggest countries. The event is a possible target for terrorists and unwarranted activists. To ensure that both safety and intelligence is managed, a comprehensive HD CCTV camera network is installed on the site. The introduction of wireless, battery operated cameras clearly poses benefits in such situations. The Monitor Systems Engineering Xcaster and Xcam products, along with the wireless infrastructure products, provides a very credible ad hoc and temporary surveillance capability. This capability gives event organizers, police and security official a great weapon to combat potential infiltrators.

 

(6) teli-medicine: An emergency vehicle comes to a large accident site which, in turn, puts high demands on the emergency personnel.

 

Luckily, the personnel are equipped with the Xcaster ST-5000 wireless video conferencing devices and can thereby consult with physicians and medical experts virtually anywhere in the world.

 

With high quality (High-Definition) images and video, plus two-way audio, life saving information can quickly be transmitted, in order to provide the field personnel with better information that will help the patient.

 

(7) police: Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) teams must analyze large quantities of information in order to make critical tactical determinations. Often, the large amount of information cannot be processed quickly enough to translate in proper reconnaissance information. However, with the use of live video and real time communication, like with the Xcaster ST-5000, SWAT officers, in conjunction with an operation center, can often be supportive in determining a proper course of action.

 

Live, in-the-field video and audio becomes the best tool to combat the situation!

 

(8) fire fighting: A firefighter is facing considerable risk when entering critical situations.

 

The more information that is available to the fireman, before his/her arrives at a scene, can ultimately mean life and death in some very specific cases.

 

With the rugged Xcaster technology in hand, on-scene fire officials can quickly report, in real-time video and audio, back to command posts, that can quickly offer tactical recommendations, which can translate into a more effective and efficient handling at the incident.

 

(9) peacekeeping: There exists, unfortunately, problematic areas of the world that require dedicated peacekeeping missions. In one example, a new peacekeeping representative runs into a potentially troubling situation while on a basic mission to check on a remote refugee center. As the representative is somewhat inexperienced, he / she can utilize the Xcaster series of products, in order to record or send live video and images from the incident. Officials in regional support centers, can quickly get a full view of the event, and offer the in the field representative, good advice and information on how to handle a potentially very complex situation. Solid and reliable information is a key factor in helping to solve problems and make decisions.

 

(10) journalism: The use of live, in the field correspondence has become increasingly popular in the media business. Traditional broadcasting equipment is becoming outdated, and the faster, more effective Xcaster technology is gaining footing in a very demanding arena of usage. With the Xcaster ST-5000, reporters can quickly access a wireless network to transmit a full, High-Definition quality, live, wireless video conferencing report from the field, when a developing story is unfolding.

 

The video feed can be transferred using Internet access or satellite links and stand ready to go live within seconds.

 

(11) architecture: It is often critical that architects work through problems and issues during the building phase in close coordination with the construction builders themselves. Irregardless of where the building is being built, the architect can use the Xcaster wearable video conferencing technology to connect parties directly in-real time to any situation requiring advanced collaboration. Through efficient and effective wireless video conferencing technology and wireless networking, architects, construction contractors and property developers can now start increasing efficiency, competitiveness and profit margins.

 

Further Reading

 

Oil and Gas Industry:

 

Applications within the oil and gas industry: Monitor Systems Engineering is proving its worthiness in some of the world’s toughest environments. The oil and gas offshore installations have long been deemed a very brutal and unforgiving place of business. With the introduction of Monitor Systems Engineering technology to these areas, large oil and gas companies have gained cost saving attributes and a safer working environment.

 

Over the past eight years, many of the world leading Oil & Gas companies along with Oil & Gas service companies have utilized the Monitor Systems Engineering intrinsically safe video cameras to communicate and collaborate within these harsh conditions. The ATEX Camera with its two way audio and video allows workers in the field to address issues, problems and situations with colleagues anywhere in the world. With its dynamic and revolutionary technology, the new Xcaster EX-5000 high definition wireless video conferencing system enables fast, secure and effective information flow from point to point allowing for discussions or effective multiparty collaboration all in real time.

 

To shut down or not to shut down: The decision to order a shut down is costly. Both time, money and safety elements are on the line. During these situations the Monitor Systems Engineering technology has time and again proven itself as an invaluable tool essential to critical information flow. On many occasions, the live video streams have helped managers, engineers and roughnecks alike to illustrate problems, and to determine quick and responsible paths to corrective measure to quickly have the shut down minimized. On many occasions, shut-downs have all together been completely averted, simply by establishing a video collaboration between parties onshore and offshore, to which colleagues could quickly conclude that issues could otherwise be handled without shutting down production!

  

Refineries: The Xcaster EX-5000 mobile video conferencing system is able to deploy at a moments notice when time is critical. With the ability to operate in hazardous areas both onshore and offshore, this Wi-Fi camera is able to maneuver quickly to various parts of the oil rig or production plant. By using the Monitor Systems Engineering EX-AP-A explosive proof, ATEX certified access points in these ATEX required areas, the Xcaster EX-5000 equipment can immediately begin to send High Definition (HD) quality video via the wireless network to virtually any point in the world. The Xcaster EX5000 is also able to help in cases of E-learning and safety inspection. Essentially: Maximize your resources and minimize travel needs.

 

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Manufacturing Industry:

 

Applications within the manufacturing industry: The manufacturing industry is a very demanding and competitive industry. On occasion, large machinery breaks down and consequently requires immediate servicing in order to keep the production facility operating. However, sometimes key service personnel are not able to respond quickly, due to logistical distances, thereby keeping the machinery at full stop and not producing.

 

The Xcaster ST-5000 has been designed with just such situations in mind. By utilizing the Monitor Systems Engineering wireless video conferencing technology, company officials and service agents can quickly via two-way audio and video, determine what the problem is by being able to actually see the faulty equipment directly from the site, back to wherever in the world the service agents are.

 

Through an established wireless network at the site, the Xcaster ST-5000 can quickly and effectively communicate utilizing IP video streaming to establish a true, in field and live mobile video conferencing collaboration session. The key service agents can thus maintain help to trouble-shoot the faulty machinery and in most cases get the machinery rolling again, so that manufacturing routines are not halted, and profits not lost. In this situation, discussion, diagnoses, and error checking can all be done in real-time!

 

In order to allocate more and dedicated service personnel, management and consultants to various operations, the wireless video conferencing systems by Monitor Systems Engineering, can help create a better forum of resources in which to pool from. In the case of heavy machinery, service companies can outfit a designated service person with the ST-5000 wireless video conferencing system, in order to collaborate and discuss a repair with other company service members that might be located anywhere in the world, in order to discuss a proper course of action for a repair.

 

Safety is also a major concern during repair operations. Service personnel can quickly and efficiently, utilize the real-time audio and video features of the Monitor Systems Engineering ST-5000, discuss an effective service routine with managers far away, to ensure that a safe work routine will done.

 

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Energy Industry:

 

Applications within the energy industry: The commercial energy industry is a very important segment of our global community. Large electrical and generating plants play a large role in our everyday lives. And with today’s focus on the environment, new and reusable energy sources are creating the need for technical and communications equipment and solutions that are environmentally friendly as well. The demands for more and simplistic methods to share work is increasing. The requirement for more information from the field is also on the rise.

 

On many occasions, researchers and scientists alike, require technology tools that allow them to discuss and be present in conferences, meetings and industry seminars to share their opinions and findings. The Monitor Systems Engineering line of wireless video conferencing equipment, including the Xcaster ST-5000 and EX-5000 model, allows these individuals to quickly and effective report directly from distant locations. They are able to share visual images of progresses, send high quality images of various findings, as well as discuss solutions and opinions with other scientists and participants around the world.

 

Monitor Systems Engineering with it solid knowledge regarding products designed to operate and function in demanding environments, has created a line of products that include the very latest wireless 802.11n technology and HD video. We have implemented them into a tough and durable package, that offers live mobile video conferencing capabilities, all in High-Definition (HD) quality images.

 

Large power plants rely on a high level of safety and predictability. The increasing number of power plants puts high demand on expertise and skillful understanding on how to address continual concerns on maintaining the optimal running conditions in these large facilities. With the Monitor Systems Engineering line of wireless, mobile video conferencing solutions, technicians, plant project managers and experts can maintain stabile communications from the field to any location in the world.

 

The Monitor Systems Engineering technology bridges distance, creates efficiencies and allows for real-time collaboration, so that knowledge can reach those areas of need.

 

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Shipping and Yard Industry:

 

Applications within Shipping and the Yard Industry: The commercial shipping industry requires precise and dedicated information to insure that cargo and ships adhere to logistical conditions and time requirements. The Xcaster ST5000 and EX5000 mobile video conferencing systems provide a stabile communication platform to provide shipping companies a method to review and check the status of loading and off loading operations and cargo registration in remote ports of the world. Featuring Wi-Fi based technology, crews are able to stream live video, while discussing specific load shipping with agents and customer alike, sometimes located continents away.

 

Ship Yards: are increasing utilizing parts and services from various locations around the world. Actual ship construction can take place in Norway, ship design in the United Kingdom and hull manufacturing in Poland. The key to a successful building platform is to ensure that all these parties are continual updated on work progress and that eventual delays and construction circumstances are reported promptly.

 

Introduction of the Monitor Systems Engineering Xcaster line of wireless video conferring cameras, has brought about a revolution in information gathering and information allocation to this industry If managers in Norway, require visual inspection of hull assembly in Poland, the Xcaster mobile video equipment can quickly be engaged to walk inside and outside the hull sections in Poland, to provide a real-time, IP video conference to any and all people in the organization, that need this information. By utilizing network video in this regard, all parties save travel time, and can otherwise gain useful knowledge from the comfort of their respected place of work, all without having to leave their office.

 

Transportation and storage: In locating items for transport or discussing load operations on ships in harbors, the Monitor Systems Engineering Xcaster series of wireless video conferencing technologies, helps transportation agencies by being able communicate with other staff members on or off location. Transport personnel can access files, talk with other crew members and discuss loading operations by way of high quality audio, IP video and data to an array of different groups.

 

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Surveillance Industry:

 

Application within the Surveillance Industry: Dependable surveillance equipment is a critical element of the total security efforts each company or organization puts forward to protect life and property. The ability to view, survey and detect an activity before a crime or intrusion is committed, saves costs towards theft and large scale property damage.

 

As a CCTV manufacturer, Monitor Systems Engineering can afford a company or organization at any level affordable and high-quality wireless CCTV solutions. Monitor Systems Engineering can custom design our security cameras to fit many types of physical and environmental settings. Monitor Systems Engineering designs its security camera systems to comply and interact with all types and standards of company network parameters.

 

As a leader in developing products associated with wireless technologies, Monitor Systems Engineering has many years of experience which is reflected in its line products and solutions. Monitor Systems Engineering has delivered its wireless CCTV solutions to military organizations, the oil & gas industry, security agencies, and energy industry to name a few. The Monitor Systems Engineering wireless security camera solution has been proven in many challenging circumstances, and continues to prevail as a high performance and reliable system for CCTV needs.

 

Rugged, corrosive resistant material and proven High Definition camera technology create a solid wireless CCTV security camera solution that is effective to combat the very toughest of environmental circumstances. By limiting the need for long and costly cabling and wiring, Monitor Systems Engineering can position a high quality security camera system to fit the needs of many different conditions.

 

Monitor Systems Engineering is able to deliver various wireless security camera configurations and solutions, dependent on the breadth and scope of what each individual customer requires. Additionally, Monitor Systems Engineering has the capability to apply solar panel driven wireless technology, should this be of interest.

 

Today’s world is becoming increasingly dependant on solid and well functioning surveillance technology. The increasing threats of terrorist groups and criminal activity are putting high demands on video quality. Monitor Systems Engineering has the skill and knowledge to present a full and dedicated wireless CCTV security camera solution for your organization today.

 

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Tele-medicine Industry:

 

Applications within Telemedicine Industry: Emergencies are critical periods, when seconds count. Quick, decisive action is required to save lives. Unfortunately, some accidents do happen in very remote locations, allowing only critical first aid to victims before extrication to a medical facility sometimes hours away. With the Monitor Systems Engineering Xcaster ST-5000 series of High Definition wireless video conferencing cameras, medics treating wounded person have an innovative tool at their disposal to help in their efforts.

 

By utilizing IP video, audio and data communication, the remote medical assistance groups are offered a way in which doctors, nurses and other medical personnel can be readily available to help at any time, regardless of location or time zone.

 

With the essential video collaboration link between field and hospital established, the Xcaster ST-5000 operating on SIP, H323 protocols, provides doctors at the hospital quality still images, and high quality High Definition (HD) video streaming to ascertain the nature of injuries, thus allowing them to prescribe a course of treatment to the medics in the field.

 

Real-time, Wi-Fi capable, the Monitor Systems Engineering Xcaster ST-5000 wireless video conferencing system allows for a visual and audio window between the remote location and the medical staff far away. Ultimately, the medics in the remote location, actually become “doctors in the field” as they can quickly gain strategic treatment recommendations by using the powerful visual medium and discussion, so that the wounded patient can receive the very best treatment for their injuries before arriving at the central hospital.

 

Quick, effective and reliable information can save lives. The Monitor Systems Engineering Xcaster ST5000 can help bridge the gap that time and distance often brings to critical situations.

 

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Law Enforcement / Security Industry:

 

Applications within Law Enforcement / Security Industry: Police, intelligence officers, Law enforcement officers and security personnel are often times presented with many hazardous circumstances and situations which challenge their training and skill on a daily bases. Monitor Systems Engineering video collaboration technology can help give officers at every level an advantage, by utilizing real-time audio and IP based, live video streams during emergency situations to attain more insightful information to ensure that a proper course of action is taken.

 

In the event of a crisis situation, officers in the field utilizing the Xcaster ST-5000 are able to report, in real-time, back to command central, so that quick and precise planning and action can be taken. Through a dedicated Wi-Fi network, the Monitor Systems Engineering Xcaster wireless video collaboration tool can bring the situation to virtually anyone, anywhere in the world. The video streams are encrypted with highly advanced algorithms like AES.

 

With a greater visual and audio overview of the situation, officers stand a much greater chance of successfully ending a potentially tragic situation. Trough both a dedicated audio and visual medium, officers can quickly communicate back to commanders that can, in turn respond with tactical recommendations, thus creating a safer, more well prepared operation.

 

Monitor Systems Engineering can also help during training sessions. Officers allocated with the Xcaster ST-5000 wearable video conferencing system, can be educated on tactical methods from instructors that might otherwise be sitting in central locations somewhere else in the city, country or world.

 

Utilizing the stabile 802.11 abgn network standards, the Monitor Systems Engineering Xcaster wireless video conferencing technology brings reconnaissance routines, anti-terror training and skillful insights to a new level. Via powerful live video stream, over IP, the Xcaster technology delivers secure and tactical information to the sources that can help!

 

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Fire Fighting Industry:

 

Applications within Fire Fighting Industry: Firefighters often times arrive at a critical emergency scene with little actual knowledge of the situation they have been requested to respond to. A reported small contained structure fire at the time they leave the firehouse can quite easily escalate to a full, very complex, multi structural building fire by the time they arrive at the scene.

 

In order to help determine the best logistical approach to battle the fire, firefighters and on scene fire officials can quickly transmit live IP video and images from the scene, back to commanders ready to assist with instructions, guidance or suggestions on how to best combat the fire. The revolutionary Monitor Systems Engineering Xcaster EX-5000 wireless video conferencing technology creates a running forum of up-to-date, real-time information for all the fire fighting personnel to join. Time is critical, and the more accurate and secure the information is, the better organized the firefighters will be when they engage the fire itself.

 

The explosive proof, Monitor Systems Engineering Xcaster EX5000, is designed and certified to tackle harsh and unforgiving environments. And as the level of on-scene activity grows, and as temperatures rise, the Xcaster is able to deliver High Definition (HD) live and still images to fire command. In return, command officials can afford firefighters crucial tactical recommendations that otherwise create an advantage in how best to contain and resolve the emergency.

 

The Xcaster technology can also be recommended for use at fire training academies. Individual fire cadets, equipped with the Xcaster mobile video conferencing unit, allow training officials to monitor step by step maneuvers by the cadets and thus be able to quickly afford them insightful knowledge during the training exercise, which will ultimately serve them well once they are in the field in real operations.

 

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Military Industry:

 

Wireless Video Streaming within Military Industry: With the increased demand for peacekeeping missions, so is the demand for knowledge resources to help control, inform and delegate materials and mission critical information to those troubled areas.

 

Monitor Systems Engineering has a wide variety of products and solutions, that can help facilitate even the most troubling of situations, within the most demanding of environments. Should the need call for high-quality, mobile, wireless video conferencing, or durable weather proof antennas that confirm to toughest criteria, Monitor Systems Engineering has the solution to help the cause.

 

With the Xcaster ST-5000 mil spec. wireless video conferencing system, peacekeeping forces and aid workers can freely move within difficult terrain, maneuver through brush and obstacles, to report in real-time to operation centers, quickly and efficiently. With High-Definition image quality, the Monitor Systems Engineering Xcaster ST-5000, transfers the detailed images straight from the field, thought a dedicated network, back to the operations centers.

 

Should a dedicated wireless network not be readily available, the Monitor Systems Engineering Xcaster ST-5000 has a built-in flash memory allowing it to function as a rugged mobile video camera, as well as a still image camera, producing high quality video and pictures. Once the mission reporting in the field is complete, the mission worker can bring the Xcaster back the operations center, and upload all the video and images, and stream this information directly back to those decision makers, responsible for managing the mission. With the image information in hand, clear and decisive measures can then be taken as to how to handle a particular situation.

 

Should the demand require real-time, video streaming from the field, Monitor Systems Engineering can create custom wireless network infrastructures for very demanding customers, in demanding environmental conditions. The Monitor Systems Engineering EX-ANT-B antenna is one of a handful of wireless infrastructure products that are constructed to handle extreme conditions, poor weather and demanding environments. Designed principally for the Oil and Gas industry, the explosive proof, intrinsically safe, EX-ANT-B antenna has proven that it is very much able to work in other harsh and demanding environments, outside the bounds of this particular industry in order to help create a dedicated wireless network. The EX-ANT-B antenna can be affixed to a number of standard access points available on the market. Connected, the rugged EX-ANT-B antenna and access point deliver a dedicated wireless environment to which the Xcaster ST-5000 or EX-5000 can freely operate in order to report live and wirelessly from field.

 

As the situation in a troubled area intensifies, so does the need for constructive and meaningful information. Monitor Systems Engineering presents several levels of equipment and technology that can significantly help to keep workers, officials and commanders abreast of the situation, in real-time, in full HD image quality and in constant dialog. Anytime, anywhere the situation may call.

 

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Journalism / Media News Industry:

 

Applications within Journalism / Media News Industry: News organizations associated with print and visual media reporting depend on quick and reliable facts to ensure that their reports generate the clearest and most concise information possible. The Monitor Systems Engineering Xcaster technology allows local, nation and global news agencies to report directly from the field, in real time, through both real-time video and audio streaming directly to network television or internet portals on their respected websites.

 

The Monitor Systems Engineering Xcaster ST-5000, with its ability to operate as both a Wi-Fi still image camera or powerful video recorder, can otherwise quickly engage the wireless network (802.11 abgn) transferring into a real-time video streaming system to be able to report all the stored images or video segments directly to the network.

 

Should the reporters find themselves in the field covering an important news story, the Xcaster offers dependable, proven technology to help transfer images and dialog directly from the area or event. Sporting events, weather reports and critical news updates, can all benefit from using the revolutionary Xcaster technology.

 

Generating interest and opinion are critical factors in news content. The Xcaster gives the journalist a significantly greater opportunity to process these facts, allowing for more complete and accurate reporting.

 

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Architecture / Building Industry:

 

Applications within Architecture / Building Industry: Architects and civil construction engineers require a solid understanding of their work sites in order to correctly place, build and detail structures. In coordination with its customers and third party contractors, the architect or property developer can hold live, in the field, video conference meetings in order to gain insightful knowledge on the project. Quick, efficient and useful feedback from the customer, construction manager and project official are essential in order that the optimal building criterion is realized.

 

In today’s modern communications world, wireless networks are becoming more common and prominent, even on building construction sites. By engaging the wireless 802.11 abgn network at the construction site, the architect can deploy a Monitor Systems Engineering Xcaster ST-5000, wireless video conferencing system to communicate with live IP video, real-time video steaming and full duplex audio to his/her clients virtually anywhere in the world. The Xcaster ST-5000 mobile video conferencing technology, can also allow architects to take high quality still images, as well as High Definition (HD) quality mobile video for archiving and storage on the Monitor Systems Engineering Xdrive.

 

It is often critical that architects work through problems and issues during the building process phases in close coordination with the builders themselves. Through efficient and effective wireless video conferencing, architects can establish solutions and criteria that are critical to the construction progress.

 

In essence, as buildings and construction routines become more complex, architects on location take advantage of the using a mobile video system by having the ability to send and receive, high quality HD video, high resolution still images and collaborate on specific project tasks from remote locations to central facilities or other locations situated elsewhere in the world.

 

The increasing presence in the construction industry of third party contractors with very narrow and specialized fields of know-how, requires a common, clear and thorough understanding of the work site.

 

Building construction: It is often critical that architects work through problems and issues during the building process phases in close coordination with the builders themselves. Regardless of where the building is being built, the architect can utilize the Monitor Systems Engineering Xcaster wearable video conferencing technology, to connect parties directly in real time at any situation requiring advanced collaboration dud ring the building process. Through efficient and effective wireless video conferencing technology and wireless networking, construction contractors and property developers can now start increasing efficiency, competitiveness and profit margins.

Saturday 18th October 2008

 

Standard Configuration

 

From the series Macross Zero (the prequel to Macross), the VF-0A is the direct ancestor to the VF-1 Valkyrie. I have not yet seen Macross Zero, but this collectible was too good pass by - so I got it. Macross Zero is set in the year 2008.

 

VF-0A "Pheonix" (Shin Kudo)

Mode: Fighter Jet Mode (Standard Configuration)

Scale: 1/60

Manufacturer: Yamato

Series: Macross Zero

Released: ? (acquired Late September 2008)

Vehicle Stats: see Macross Mecha Manual.

 

--

This photograph is part of my Robotech and VF-0A sets on Flickr.

--

Image Copyright © 2008-present Joriel Jimenez

Please use with permission and full attribution

+++ DISCLAIMER +++

Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based historical facts. BEWARE!

  

Some background:

The P-74 "Charger" was a fighter aircraft built by Lockheed for the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF). Its configuration was unusual as it was designed as a twin boom pusher configuration, where the propeller is mounted in the rear of the fuselage, pushing the aircraft forward.

 

The P-74 entered service with the USAAF in late 1944, its conception dated back to 1939 when the U.S. Army Air Corps requested with the Circular Proposal R40C domestic manufacturers to develop high performance fighter types, allowing (even demanding) unusual configurations. Lockheed did not respond immediately and missed the chance to sign a development contract in mid-1940 until early 1941. Twenty-three proposals were submitted to R40C, and after a fist selection of ideas three companies, Vultee with the large XP-54 Swoose Goose, Curtiss with its XP-55 Ascender and Northrop's XP-56 Black Bullet were able to secure prototype contracts.

 

Vultee eventually won the competition, but all these innovative new aircraft suffered from various flaws or development delays, missing various performance goals, so that none ever entered service.

 

In the meantime, Lockheed had been working on the 1939 request in the background on a private venture basis, as it was clear that by 1944 a successor to the company's own P-38 Lightning had to be offered to the USAAC.

The new North American P-51 Mustang was also a sharp competitor, esp. for the Pacific conflict theatre where long range was needed. This role was filled out very well by the P-38, but it was a relatively large and complicated aircraft, so an alternative with a single engine was strived for. Even though jet engines already showed their potential, it was clear that the requested range for the new type could only be achieved through a piston engine.

 

This aircraft became the XP-74, originally christened “Laelaps”, following Lockheed’s tradition, after a female Greek mythological dog who never failed to catch what she was hunting. It was presented as a mock-up to USAAC officials on August 8th 1942 and immediately found sponsorship: with the disappointing results from the XP-54,55 and 56 was immediately ushered into the prototype stage. Its name, though, was rejected, and the more common name “Charger” was adopted.

 

Just like Lockheed’s successful P-38 the XP-74 Charger was designed as a twin-boom aircraft, but it was driven by only a single Packard (License-built Rolls Royce Merlin) V-1650 pusher engine in the aft part of the fuselage. The tail was mounted rearward between two mid-wing booms, with a four-bladed 12-ft propeller between them. The design also included a "ducted wing section" developed by the NACA that enabled installation of cooling radiators and intercoolers in the wing root section.

 

The advantages of a pusher design are that the view forward is unobstructed and armament can be concentrated in the nose, while a major drawback is difficulty in escaping from the aircraft in an emergency, as the pilot could get drawn into the propeller blades. Lockheed deliberated between systems that would eject the pilot, or jettison the propeller or the engine, via a system of explosive bolts. Lockheed eventually installed an early ejector seat which was driven by pressurized air, combined with a mechanism that would blow the canopy off. The system was successfully tested in summer 1943, even though skepticism remained among pilots.

 

Initial armament comprised one 20mm Hispano cannon and four 12.7mm Browning machine guns, the same as in the P-38, but two machine guns were relocated from the nose into the front ends of the tail booms because of the new aircraft’s smaller overall dimensions.

 

The first prototype was ready in October 1943, with a different engine and heavier armor fitted. The second prototype was built to this specification from the start, which would become the serial production standard, the P-74A.

The P-74A used the new V-1650-9 engine, a version of the Merlin that included Simmons automatic supercharger boost control with water injection, allowing War Emergency Power as high as 2,218 hp (1,500 kW). Another change concerned the armament: a longer weapon range was deemed necessary, so the gun armament was changed into four 20mm Hispano cannons, two of the placed in the fuselage nose and one in each tail boom front end. Each gun was supplied with 250 RPG.

 

Alternatively, a nose installment with a single 37mm cannon and two 12.7mm Browning MGs was tested on the first prototype, but this arrangement was found to be less effective than the four 20mm cannons. Another factor that turned this option down was the more complicated logistics demands for three different calibers in one aircraft.

 

The P-74A was ready for service in summer 1944, but its deployment into the Pacific region took until December – the 5th Air Force first units replaced most of its P-38 and also early P-47Ds with the P-74A.These new aircraft had their first clashes with Japanese forces in January 1945.

 

The P-74 was used in a variety of roles. It was designed as an intreceptor against bombers, but its good range and handling at all altitudes made it suitable for tasks like fighter sweeps against enemy airfields, support for U.S. ground forces and protection of sea convoys and transport routes.

While the P-74 could not out-turn the A6M Zero and most other Japanese fighters when flying below 200 mph (320 km/h), its superior speed coupled with a good rate of climb meant that it could utilize energy tactics, making multiple high-speed passes at its target. Also, its focused firepower was deadly to lightly armored Japanese warplanes.

 

Because of its late service introduction, only 305 P-74s were ever produced until the end of hostilities, and they were exclusively used in the Pacific theatre. The P-74's service record shows mixed results, but usually because of misinformation. P-74s have been described as being harder to fly than traditional, single-engined aircraft, but this was because of inadequate training in the first few months of service.

Another drawback was the ejection seat system – it worked basically well, but the tank for the pressurized air turned out to be very vulnerable to enemy fire. Several P-74s literally exploded in midair after cannon fire hits, and this poeblem could only be cured when the tank section behind the cockpit received a more rigid structure and additional armor. Anyway, the P-74 was quickly retired after WWII, as the USAAF focussed on P-47 and P-51.

  

General characteristics

Crew: 1

Length: 10.45 m (34 ft 3 in)

Wingspan: 11.6 m (38 ft 0 in)

Height: 3.97 (13 ft 0 in)

Wing area: 22.2 m² (238.87 ft²)

Empty weight: 3,250 kg (7,165 lb)

Loaded weight: 4,150 kg (9,149 lb)

Max. take-off weight: 4,413 kg (9,730 lb)

 

Powerplant:

1× Packard (License-built Rolls Royce Merlin) V-1650-9 ,

rated at 1,380 hp (1,030 kW) and 2,218 hp (1,500 kW) w. water injection

 

Performance

Maximum speed: 640 km/h (343 knots, 398 mph)

Cruise speed: 495 km/h (265 knots, 308 mph)

Range: 1,105 mi (1,778 km)

Ferry range: 1,330 nmi (1,530 mi, 2,460 km)

Service ceiling: 11,000 m (36,090 ft)

Rate of climb: 15 m/s (2,950 ft/min)

 

Armament

4× 20 mm (0.79 in) Hispano-Suiza HS.404 cannons with 250 RPG

2× hardpoints for up to 2,000 lb (907 kg) of bombs, 6 or 10× T64 5.0 in (127 mm) H.V.A.R rockets

  

The kit and its assembly:

This whif was inspired by a CG rendition of a Saab J21 in a natural metal finish and with (spurious) USAAF markings, probably a skin for a flight simulator. Anyway, I was more or less enchanted by the NMF on the Saab – I had to build one, and it would become the P-74, the only USAF fighter code that had never been used.

 

The kit is the venerable Heller Saab J21A, an “old style” design with raised panel lines. But it is still around and affordable. No big mods were made to the kit during its transition into a USAAF fighter, even though I changed some minor things:

● Main landing gear was completely exchanged through struts from an Airfix A-1 Skyraider and the wheels from a Hasegawa P-51D; thin wire was added as hydraulic tubes

● New propeller blades: instead of the three-bladed original I added four much broader blades with square tips (from a Heller P-51D) to the original spinner

● Different exhaust stubs, which actually belong to a Spitfire Merlin (Special Hobby kit)

● Underfuselage flap was slightly opened

● A pilot figure was added to the nice cockpit

● The gun barrels were replaced with hollow styrene tubes

  

Painting and markings:

NMF was certain, but the rest…? I wanted to have a colorful aircraft, and eventually settled for a machine in the Pacific theatre of operations. When I browsed for options I eventually decided to apply broad black stripes on wings and fuselage, typical 5th Air Force markings that were used e. g. on P-47Ds and P-51Ds.

 

Overall design benchmark for my aircraft is a P-47D-28 of 310th FS/58th FG. The tail would be all white, and the rudder sported red and white stripes, early war insignia. The red nose trim and the deep yellow spinner were taken over from this aircraft, too. The blue individual code number is a personal addition, as well as the nose art, which was puzzled together from a Czech 'Perdubice' Meeting MiG-21 and leftover bits from a Pacific use P-51.

 

The aircraft was basically painted with Aluminum Metallizer (Humbrol 27002) and Polished Steel Metallizer (Modelmaster), and some panels were contrasted with Aluminum (Humbrol 56).

The anti-glare panel in front of the cockpit was painted in Olive Drab (Humbrol 66), the red nose trim with Humbrol 19. The tail was painted with a mix of Humbrol 34 & 196, for a very light grey, and later dry-painted with pure white.

 

The black ID stripes as well as the red and blue rudder trim were not painted, but rather created through decal sheet material (from TL Modellbau), cut to size and shape to fit into their respective places. The tail was a PITA, but for the black stripes this turned out to be very effective and convenient - an experiment that willcertainly see more future use.

 

Cockpit interior was painted in Humbrol 226 (Cockpit Green) and Zinc Chromate Green from Model Master, the landing gear wells received a chrome yellow primer (Humbrol 225) finish.

The landing gear struts were kept in bare Aluminum.

 

For weathering the kit received a rubbing treatment with grinded graphite, which adds a dark, metallic shine and emphasizes the kit’s raised panel lines. Some dry painting with Aluminum was added, too, simulating chipped paint on the leading edges, and on the black ID stripes some dark grey shading was added.

  

A relatively simple whif, but I love how the Saab 21 looks in the unusual, shiny NMF finish - and the USAAF markings with the prominent ID stripes suit it well, even though it looks a bit like a circus attraction now?

+++ DISCLAIMER +++

Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based historical facts. BEWARE!

  

Some background:

The P-74 "Charger" was a fighter aircraft built by Lockheed for the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF). Its configuration was unusual as it was designed as a twin boom pusher configuration, where the propeller is mounted in the rear of the fuselage, pushing the aircraft forward.

 

The P-74 entered service with the USAAF in late 1944, its conception dated back to 1939 when the U.S. Army Air Corps requested with the Circular Proposal R40C domestic manufacturers to develop high performance fighter types, allowing (even demanding) unusual configurations. Lockheed did not respond immediately and missed the chance to sign a development contract in mid-1940 until early 1941. Twenty-three proposals were submitted to R40C, and after a fist selection of ideas three companies, Vultee with the large XP-54 Swoose Goose, Curtiss with its XP-55 Ascender and Northrop's XP-56 Black Bullet were able to secure prototype contracts.

 

Vultee eventually won the competition, but all these innovative new aircraft suffered from various flaws or development delays, missing various performance goals, so that none ever entered service.

 

In the meantime, Lockheed had been working on the 1939 request in the background on a private venture basis, as it was clear that by 1944 a successor to the company's own P-38 Lightning had to be offered to the USAAC.

The new North American P-51 Mustang was also a sharp competitor, esp. for the Pacific conflict theatre where long range was needed. This role was filled out very well by the P-38, but it was a relatively large and complicated aircraft, so an alternative with a single engine was strived for. Even though jet engines already showed their potential, it was clear that the requested range for the new type could only be achieved through a piston engine.

 

This aircraft became the XP-74, originally christened “Laelaps”, following Lockheed’s tradition, after a female Greek mythological dog who never failed to catch what she was hunting. It was presented as a mock-up to USAAC officials on August 8th 1942 and immediately found sponsorship: with the disappointing results from the XP-54,55 and 56 was immediately ushered into the prototype stage. Its name, though, was rejected, and the more common name “Charger” was adopted.

 

Just like Lockheed’s successful P-38 the XP-74 Charger was designed as a twin-boom aircraft, but it was driven by only a single Packard (License-built Rolls Royce Merlin) V-1650 pusher engine in the aft part of the fuselage. The tail was mounted rearward between two mid-wing booms, with a four-bladed 12-ft propeller between them. The design also included a "ducted wing section" developed by the NACA that enabled installation of cooling radiators and intercoolers in the wing root section.

 

The advantages of a pusher design are that the view forward is unobstructed and armament can be concentrated in the nose, while a major drawback is difficulty in escaping from the aircraft in an emergency, as the pilot could get drawn into the propeller blades. Lockheed deliberated between systems that would eject the pilot, or jettison the propeller or the engine, via a system of explosive bolts. Lockheed eventually installed an early ejector seat which was driven by pressurized air, combined with a mechanism that would blow the canopy off. The system was successfully tested in summer 1943, even though skepticism remained among pilots.

 

Initial armament comprised one 20mm Hispano cannon and four 12.7mm Browning machine guns, the same as in the P-38, but two machine guns were relocated from the nose into the front ends of the tail booms because of the new aircraft’s smaller overall dimensions.

 

The first prototype was ready in October 1943, with a different engine and heavier armor fitted. The second prototype was built to this specification from the start, which would become the serial production standard, the P-74A.

The P-74A used the new V-1650-9 engine, a version of the Merlin that included Simmons automatic supercharger boost control with water injection, allowing War Emergency Power as high as 2,218 hp (1,500 kW). Another change concerned the armament: a longer weapon range was deemed necessary, so the gun armament was changed into four 20mm Hispano cannons, two of the placed in the fuselage nose and one in each tail boom front end. Each gun was supplied with 250 RPG.

 

Alternatively, a nose installment with a single 37mm cannon and two 12.7mm Browning MGs was tested on the first prototype, but this arrangement was found to be less effective than the four 20mm cannons. Another factor that turned this option down was the more complicated logistics demands for three different calibers in one aircraft.

 

The P-74A was ready for service in summer 1944, but its deployment into the Pacific region took until December – the 5th Air Force first units replaced most of its P-38 and also early P-47Ds with the P-74A.These new aircraft had their first clashes with Japanese forces in January 1945.

 

The P-74 was used in a variety of roles. It was designed as an intreceptor against bombers, but its good range and handling at all altitudes made it suitable for tasks like fighter sweeps against enemy airfields, support for U.S. ground forces and protection of sea convoys and transport routes.

While the P-74 could not out-turn the A6M Zero and most other Japanese fighters when flying below 200 mph (320 km/h), its superior speed coupled with a good rate of climb meant that it could utilize energy tactics, making multiple high-speed passes at its target. Also, its focused firepower was deadly to lightly armored Japanese warplanes.

 

Because of its late service introduction, only 305 P-74s were ever produced until the end of hostilities, and they were exclusively used in the Pacific theatre. The P-74's service record shows mixed results, but usually because of misinformation. P-74s have been described as being harder to fly than traditional, single-engined aircraft, but this was because of inadequate training in the first few months of service.

Another drawback was the ejection seat system – it worked basically well, but the tank for the pressurized air turned out to be very vulnerable to enemy fire. Several P-74s literally exploded in midair after cannon fire hits, and this poeblem could only be cured when the tank section behind the cockpit received a more rigid structure and additional armor. Anyway, the P-74 was quickly retired after WWII, as the USAAF focussed on P-47 and P-51.

  

General characteristics

Crew: 1

Length: 10.45 m (34 ft 3 in)

Wingspan: 11.6 m (38 ft 0 in)

Height: 3.97 (13 ft 0 in)

Wing area: 22.2 m² (238.87 ft²)

Empty weight: 3,250 kg (7,165 lb)

Loaded weight: 4,150 kg (9,149 lb)

Max. take-off weight: 4,413 kg (9,730 lb)

 

Powerplant:

1× Packard (License-built Rolls Royce Merlin) V-1650-9 ,

rated at 1,380 hp (1,030 kW) and 2,218 hp (1,500 kW) w. water injection

 

Performance

Maximum speed: 640 km/h (343 knots, 398 mph)

Cruise speed: 495 km/h (265 knots, 308 mph)

Range: 1,105 mi (1,778 km)

Ferry range: 1,330 nmi (1,530 mi, 2,460 km)

Service ceiling: 11,000 m (36,090 ft)

Rate of climb: 15 m/s (2,950 ft/min)

 

Armament

4× 20 mm (0.79 in) Hispano-Suiza HS.404 cannons with 250 RPG

2× hardpoints for up to 2,000 lb (907 kg) of bombs, 6 or 10× T64 5.0 in (127 mm) H.V.A.R rockets

  

The kit and its assembly:

This whif was inspired by a CG rendition of a Saab J21 in a natural metal finish and with (spurious) USAAF markings, probably a skin for a flight simulator. Anyway, I was more or less enchanted by the NMF on the Saab – I had to build one, and it would become the P-74, the only USAF fighter code that had never been used.

 

The kit is the venerable Heller Saab J21A, an “old style” design with raised panel lines. But it is still around and affordable. No big mods were made to the kit during its transition into a USAAF fighter, even though I changed some minor things:

● Main landing gear was completely exchanged through struts from an Airfix A-1 Skyraider and the wheels from a Hasegawa P-51D; thin wire was added as hydraulic tubes

● New propeller blades: instead of the three-bladed original I added four much broader blades with square tips (from a Heller P-51D) to the original spinner

● Different exhaust stubs, which actually belong to a Spitfire Merlin (Special Hobby kit)

● Underfuselage flap was slightly opened

● A pilot figure was added to the nice cockpit

● The gun barrels were replaced with hollow styrene tubes

  

Painting and markings:

NMF was certain, but the rest…? I wanted to have a colorful aircraft, and eventually settled for a machine in the Pacific theatre of operations. When I browsed for options I eventually decided to apply broad black stripes on wings and fuselage, typical 5th Air Force markings that were used e. g. on P-47Ds and P-51Ds.

 

Overall design benchmark for my aircraft is a P-47D-28 of 310th FS/58th FG. The tail would be all white, and the rudder sported red and white stripes, early war insignia. The red nose trim and the deep yellow spinner were taken over from this aircraft, too. The blue individual code number is a personal addition, as well as the nose art, which was puzzled together from a Czech 'Perdubice' Meeting MiG-21 and leftover bits from a Pacific use P-51.

 

The aircraft was basically painted with Aluminum Metallizer (Humbrol 27002) and Polished Steel Metallizer (Modelmaster), and some panels were contrasted with Aluminum (Humbrol 56).

The anti-glare panel in front of the cockpit was painted in Olive Drab (Humbrol 66), the red nose trim with Humbrol 19. The tail was painted with a mix of Humbrol 34 & 196, for a very light grey, and later dry-painted with pure white.

 

The black ID stripes as well as the red and blue rudder trim were not painted, but rather created through decal sheet material (from TL Modellbau), cut to size and shape to fit into their respective places. The tail was a PITA, but for the black stripes this turned out to be very effective and convenient - an experiment that willcertainly see more future use.

 

Cockpit interior was painted in Humbrol 226 (Cockpit Green) and Zinc Chromate Green from Model Master, the landing gear wells received a chrome yellow primer (Humbrol 225) finish.

The landing gear struts were kept in bare Aluminum.

 

For weathering the kit received a rubbing treatment with grinded graphite, which adds a dark, metallic shine and emphasizes the kit’s raised panel lines. Some dry painting with Aluminum was added, too, simulating chipped paint on the leading edges, and on the black ID stripes some dark grey shading was added.

  

A relatively simple whif, but I love how the Saab 21 looks in the unusual, shiny NMF finish - and the USAAF markings with the prominent ID stripes suit it well, even though it looks a bit like a circus attraction now?

+++ DISCLAIMER +++

Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based historical facts. BEWARE!

  

Some background:

At the end of WW2, Sweden was in search of a new fighter offering better performance than the J21 could offer. The latter was an indigenous fighter/attack aircraft from SAAB that first took to the air in 1943 and dated back to a requirement from 1941. The J21 was designed as an unusual twin boom pusher configuration, where the propeller was mounted in the rear of the fuselage, pushing the aircraft forward. The advantages of a pusher design were that the view forward was unobstructed and armament could be concentrated in the nose, while the heavy engine was placed close to the center of gravity for better handling and agility. A major drawback was the difficulty in escaping from the aircraft in an emergency, though, as the pilot could get drawn into the propeller blades. SAAB deliberated between systems that would eject the pilot, or jettison the propeller or even the whole engine, via a system of explosive bolts, and eventually installed an early, explosives-powered ejector seat developed by Bofors for this purpose.

However, the SAAB 21 had its share of trouble (overheating an unreliable DB 605 engine), and in 1944 a new requirement for a more powerful and conventional fighter was issued. Selecting the Rolls Royce Griffon as the powerplant, SAAB initially looked into adapting the engine to the J21. However, this proved impractical, so SAAB started work on a clean-sheet design.

 

The L27, as it was known in the project stage, ended up closely resembling the latest designs to come from Britain like the Supermarine Spitfire or the Martin Baker MB 5, as well as the North American P-51 Mustang. The Griffon engine, chosen for initial development and flight tests, drove a contra-rotating propeller and sat in the nose. Top speed with the Griffon was expected to be around 700 km/h (435 mph). Later production aircraft were to be powered by a domestically developed, new H-24 cylinder motor similar to the British Napier Sabre engine and delivering output in significant excess of 2.200 hp (1.640 kW). With this machine, the aircraft was expected to reach a top speed of 740 km/h (460 mph) or even more.

 

The wings were similar to those used on the Fairey Firefly, complete with Fairey’s characteristic Youngman flaps, but with small wing root extensions and a thicker profile than the late Spitfires’ wings, and with more rounded wing tips. Similar to the P-51, the L27’s landing gear with a wide track retracted inwards into the wings, and the tail wheel could be fully retracted, too.

Armament, consisting of four 20mm Hispano cannons, was to be concentrated in the wings just outside of the propeller arc, and unlike the Spitfire’s arrangement with underwing coolers, the L27’s single radiator was placed in a ventral tunnel position, very similar to the arrangement on the P-51.

 

A total of three prototypes were ordered, and the aircraft was now formally designated J27A; two were to be powered by Rolls-Royce Griffon 83 engines, and one as a test structure and earmarked for the development of the 24 cylinder engine and its integration into the projected J27B.

The first flight of a J27A took place in March 1945, and the promising results kept the project evolving until late 1946, when the aircraft was cleared for service and production in January 1947. 70 aircraft with Griffon engines were ordered.

 

Anyway, in early 1945, SAAB had also launched a project to determine how to provide the J21A with a jet engine to get the experience of jet engines and flying at high speeds. The goal was to catch up with the development of jet aircraft, which were moving ahead fast in England, where, among others, de Havilland already had the de Havilland Vampire in production. The resulting J21R, SAAB's first jet, made its first flight on 10 March 1947 and it marked the death knell for any piston-engine fighter development and use in Sweden. Consequentially the 24 cylinder engine never made it from the drawing board, and after the initial production run of the Griffon-powered J27A was completed until early 1949, further production was stopped and the whole J27 program terminated. Serial production J27As differed only slightly from the prototypes. The most obvious change was a taller vertical stabilizer and a small fin fillet, less obvious was a modified landing gear cover arrangement, because the original design with a single, large cover of the main wheels tended to bulge outward at high speed. A split design mended this problem.

 

While the J27A’s projected top speed of 700km/h was impressive for a piston-engine fighter and frequently confirmed in service, it was inadequate in the oncoming jet age. In the end, SAAB opted to pursuit jet fighter endeavors that soon led to the very modern and innovative SAAB J29 that soon became Sweden’s standard jet fighter.

In frontline service the J27 was, even though it was popular among its pilots and maintenance crews, almost immediately replaced by jets, at first with the J28B Vampire (from 1951 on), which were in turn quickly replaced in 1952 with the indigenous J29 Tunnan.

The last J27A was, after serving with fighter units primarily in southern Sweden, already retired from frontline duties in 1955. Some aircraft, though, were kept in service as target tugs, liaison aircraft for the air staff and for dissimilar air combat training. The last machine was finally decommissioned in summer 1961.

  

General characteristics:

Crew: One

Length: 9.90 m (32 ft 5 in)

Wingspan: 11.84 m (38 ft 9 1/2 in)

Height: 4.19 (13 ft 9 in)

Wing area: 22.2 m² (238.87 ft²)

Empty weight: 3,250 kg (7,165 lb)

Loaded weight: 4,150 kg (9,149 lb)

Max. take-off weight: 4,413 kg (9,730 lb)

 

Powerplant:

1× license-built Rolls-Royce Griffon 83 liquid-cooled V-12 engine, 2,340 hp (1,745 kW),

driving a six-bladed contraprop

 

Performance:

Maximum speed: 435 mph (700 km/h) at 20,000 ft (6,100 m)

Cruise speed: 495 km/h (265 knots, 308 mph)

Range: 1,100 mi (1,770 km)

Service ceiling: 40,000 ft (12,190 m)

Rate of climb: 3,800 ft/min (19.3 m/s)

 

Armament:

4× 20 mm Bofors cannon (license-built Hispano Mk.II cannon) with 200 rpg in the outer wings

Underwing hardpoints for 8-12 × 3inch "60 lb" rocket projectiles

or 2× 1,000 lb (450 kg) bombs

or a pair of 45 gal (205 l) or 90 gal (409 l) drop tanks.

  

The kit and its assembly:

This is a “real” what-if model, or at least the attempt to build a phantom aircraft from single parts! The SAAB 27 is a bit of a mystery, because valid information is sparse, especially concerning details about its shape. You find some drawings or profiles, but IMHO these are based on guesswork and rather vague. The J27 is frequently described as a “Swedish Spitfire with a P-51 radiator” or a “Swedish Super-Spitfire”, but that leaves much to be desired, because the similarity is only superficial. Hence, this model here is rather a free interpretation of what a service J27 could have looked like.

 

For long time I fought with two building options: either convert a Fairey Firefly (Airfix’ Mk. 5 would have been my bet), or use a Spitfire Mk. 22. After long considerations I settled for the latter one, because I feared that the Firefly would result in a rather massive aircraft, and the Airfix kit itself is vintage and worth a building fight on its own.

 

So I used an Airfix Spitfire Mk. 22, but from this (very nice!) kit just a few things were taken, because I wanted a more individual look. Only the fuselage, cockpit interior and landing gear survived, and I even inserted a 2.5mm wide “wedge plug” around the cockpit and wedge-shaped inserts at the fuselage halves’ seams in order to add some beef to the sleek (if not spindly) Spitfire. I think it’s hard to notice, but the overall proportions look good. At the tail and the front end, the original fuselage width was kept, though.

 

Reason behind this was the P-51 radiator’s width (leftover from a Matchbox kit) that was considerably wider than the Spitfire fuselage. Furthermore, the thicker/more massive wings from a P-47 (from an early MPM kit) also called for a more massive body.

For the new wings, some adaptations to the Spitfire wing roots had to be made, though, e.g. a bulged mid-wing section under the fuselage. The Thunderbolt parts also had the benefit of wells for a landing gear that retracts inwards. I also used P-47 landing gear parts, even though the struts were shortened at their bases by 3mm and the covers accordingly. For the sake of a different look (the Spitfire wheels are very characteristic) I used different main wheels from a Revell G.91R. The landing gear cover arrangement differs from J27 sketches (as far as I can tell, it must have been similar to the P-51's), but I stuck with the P-47 parts because they match well with the rest of the aircraft.

 

The contraprop belongs to a late mark Seafire, left over from a Special Hobby kit. The propeller was in so far modified that I added a metal axis and a styrene tube adapter for the fuselage, so that both propeller parts can (theoretically) spin. OOB, the Special Hobby solution is simply to be glued onto the nose, fixed, despite being constructed in two separate parts?

 

Furthermore, the carburetor intake was changed: the Spitfire’s scoop at the wings’ leading edge was replace by a Firefly-style lip intake right behind the propeller.

 

The whole tail section was reconditioned, too. Descriptions of the J27’s tail are corny, but “more square than a Spitfire’s”. Instead of simple cosmetic surgery I thoroughly replaced the OOB fin with a Supermarine Attacker’s (Novo kit) with some mods to the outline, which fits well in size and is …more square!

 

The new tail is a bit taller and has a fin fillet, making it look very P-51-ish, but that’s O.K. for me. At least it’s different from the round Spitfire shape.

I also exchanged the stabilizers, the round Spitfire parts gave way to differently shaped pieces from a Hobby Boss La-7. Their shape is similar to a P-47’s, but they are smaller and match J27 illustrations well.

 

The canopy was also changed. Through the widened fuselage around the cockpit the tight OOB Spitfire hood would hardly match, anyway. The bubble layout remained, and I adapted a bigger Matchbox P-51 canopy to the new fuselage contours, and moved forward as far as possible.

  

Painting and markings:

The Swedish Air Force as operator was settled, as well as early post-WWII markings. But I did not want the standard, uniform olive green/blue grey livery, so I painted the upper surfaces with camouflage scheme made from two green tones: a medium green tone (Humbrol 102, Army Green, ~FS 34096) and a bluish, dark green (Humbrol 91, RLM 70 equivalent), applied in bands – somewhat inspired by a scheme carried by some SAAB 32 Lansen in the early 60ies.

 

The underside was kept in the typical Swedish blue-grey, for which I used Humbrol 87. The waterline was placed very low so that the upper camouflage was also taken to the radiator flanks under the fuselage and wings.

 

The cockpit was painted in very dark grey (Humbrol 32), while the landing gear and the wells were kept in Aluminum (Humbrol 56).

 

As a 2nd squadron machine, the code letter became blue, as well as the two-part spinner, latter’s paint was mixed, based on the squadron code letter decal’s tone on the tail.

The roundels and the 'R' codes come from an RBD Studio aftermarket sheet from Sweden, further decals like the yellow ‘9’ code, the squadron’s ‘Bonzo’ dog mascot emblem as well as most stencils come from a Heller SAAB 21.

  

A complex build, yet the model aircraft looks so innocent… Anyway, the goal was IMHO achieved: this J27 model just looks like a “Swedish Spitfire with a P-51 radiator”, and at first glance you cannot be certain if this is a modified Griffon Spitfire or a P-51D. Both is true, to a certain degree, but also not correct, because the changes are more fundamental and the wings are completely different from either. So, the mission’s been accomplished. ;)

 

And I feel inclined to tackle a J23, too, a Bf109/P-51B design hybrid that was designed as a conservative alternative to the pusher J21.

 

How I finally made it comfortable...

 

- Nitto Grand Bois Elysées handlebar for a nice upright position that still allows me to lean forward due to the 11cm Nitto Tallux stem. Brooks Cambium natural tape to match the saddle.

 

- Brooks Cambium Carved saddle in natural. Very comfortable and allows about an extra inch of rear saddle positioning which for me, was what I needed to relieve hand pressure and be more comfortable.

 

Other stuff that made a huge difference:

 

- Compass Barlow Pass 38mm tires - huge difference in ride comfort and suppleness compared to the previous Schwalbe Marathon Racers I had before.

 

I'll be installing the fenders next week.

Detail view of the "War Room" configuration of this innovative set of 36 steel frames, holding custom laminated Vanceva colored glass dry marker panels for software development HTML graphics, in the new Brightcove www.brightcove.com/en/ corporate headquarters in Boston. The interior design is by Elkus/ Manfredi Architects www.elkus-manfredi.com/. These amazing panels that create a series of custom dry marker walls that define a series of meeting areas for the development of new HTML code and website design for the innovative website video streaming leader, Brightcove. The thirty-six panels use three custom Vanceva laminated glass colors that work with the interior design scheme on two floors of Brightcove's new corporate headquarters overlooking Boston Harbor. These panels are the latest innovation in "marker boards", creating an exciting interior design feature of the offices, and are very durable, easy to clean, and have features like magnetic marker trays.

 

For more information and drawings see: www.behance.net/gallery/brightcove-Vanceva-glass-Dry-Mark...

 

Design/ Production of architectural details + corporate exhibits + retail displays + signage + light fixtures

philmanker@comcast.net

philmanker.com/index.php

Boston

617-291-8584

 

+++ DISCLAIMER +++

Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based historical facts. BEWARE!

  

After the Saab 38 (also known as B3LA) had been cancelled in 1979 in favor of the more advanced Saab JAS 39 Gripen multi-role fighter, Saab presented in 1991 a new trainer design to the Swedish Air Force as a replacement for the Saab 105 (Sk 60) transitional trainer, light attack and reconnaissance aircraft. This new aircraft was internally called "FSK900". The aircraft was a conservative design, with such a configurational resemblance to the Dassault-Dornier Alpha Jet that it is hard to believe Saab engineers didn't see the Alpha Jet as a model for what they wanted to do. However, even if that was the case, the FSK900 was by no means a copy of the Alpha Jet, and the two machines could be easily told apart at a glance. FSK900 had a muscular, rather massive appearance, while the Alpha Jet was more wasp-like and very sleek. The FSK900 was also bigger in length and span and had an empty weight about 10% greater.

 

The FSK900 was mostly made of aircraft aluminum alloys, with some control surfaces made of carbon-fiber / epoxy composite, plus very selective use of titanium. It had high-mounted swept wings, with a supercritical airfoil section and a leading-edge dogtooth; a conventional swept tail assembly; tricycle landing gear; twin engines, one mounted in a pod along each side of the fuselage; and a tandem-seat cockpit with dual controls.

 

The wings had a sweep of 27.5°, an anhedral droop of 7°, and featured ailerons for roll control as well as double slotted flaps. The tailplanes were all-moving, and also featured an anhedral of 7°. An airbrake was mounted on each side of the rear fuselage. Flight controls were hydraulic, and hydraulic systems were dual redundant.

 

Instructor and cadet sat in tandem in a common cockpit, both on zero-zero ejection seats, with the instructor's seat in the rear raised 27 centimeters (10.6 inches) to give a good forward view. The cockpit was pressurized and featured a one-piece canopy, hinged open to the right, which provided excellent visibility.

 

The landing gear assemblies all featured single wheels, with the nose gear retracting forward and the main gear retracting forward and into the fuselage, featuring an antiskid braking system. The twin engines were two Williams International FJ44-4M turbofans without reheat, each rated at 16.89 kN (3,790 lbst). These were the same engines that Saab had also proposed for Saab’s Sk 60 modernization program, even though a less powerful variant for the lighter aircraft.

 

The FSK900 could be fitted with two pylons under each wing and under the fuselage centerline, for a total of five hardpoints and a total external payload of 2,500 kg (5,500 lb). The inner wing pylons were wet and could take 450 liter (119 US gallon) auxiliary tanks. External stores included a centerline target winch for the target tug role, an air-sampling pod for detection of fallout or other atmospheric pollutants, jammer or chaff pods for electronic warfare training, a camera/sensor pod and a baggage pod for use in the liaison role. The aircraft also featured a baggage compartment in the center fuselage, which also offered space for other special equipment or future updates.

 

Potential armament comprised a conformal ventral pod with a single 27 mm Mauser BK-27 revolver cannon with 120 rounds (the same weapon that eventually went into the Saab Gripen). Other weapons included various iron and cluster bombs of up to 454 kg (1.000 lb) caliber, unguided missiles of various calibers and the Rb.74 (AIM-9L Sidewinder) AAM. A radar was not mounted, but the FSK900’s nose section offered enough space for a radome.

 

The Swedish Air Force accepted the Saab design, leading to a contract for two nonflying static-test airframes and four flying prototypes. Detail design was complete by the end of 1993 and prototype construction began in the spring of 1994, leading to first flight of the initial prototype on 29 July 1994. The first production "Sk 90A", how the basic trainer type was officially dubbed, was delivered to the Swedish Air Force in 1996.

 

A total of 108 production Sk 90s were built until 1999 in several versions. The initial Sk 90A trainer was the basis for the Sk 90B variant, which carried a weather radar (this variant was not adopted by the Swedish air force but sold to Austria) and the C variant with a set of cameras in the nose for the Swedish air force. In service, the type was regarded as strong, agile, and pleasant to fly, while being cheap to operate. Swedish Sk 90As flying in the training role were typically painted in the unique “Fields & Meadows” splinter camouflage, although decorative paint jobs showed up on occasion and many aircraft received additional dayglow markings. Some of the few aircraft given to operational squadrons, which used them for keeping up flight hours and as hacks, had been painted in an all-grey camouflage to match the combat aircraft they shared the flight line with.

Despite its qualities and potential, the Sk 90 did not attain much foreign interest, primarily suffering from bad timing and from the focus on domestic demands. The aircraft came effectively 10 years too late to become a serious export success, and in the end the Sk 90 was very similar to the Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet (even though it was cheaper to operate) - at a time when the German Luftwaffe started to prematurely phase out its attack variant and flooded the global´market with cheap second hand aircraft in excellent condition. Furthermore, the Saab Sk 90 had, with the BAe Hawk, another proven competitor with a long operational track record all over the world.

 

Potential buyers were Malaysia as well as Singapore, Myanmar, Finland, Poland and Hungary. Austria eventually procured 36 Sk 90 Ö in 2002, replacing its Saab 105 fleet and keeping up its close connection with Saab since the Seventies, and a late customer became the independent Republic of Scotland in 2017, initially with a dozen leased Saab Sk 90A trainers.

 

This procurement was preceded by a White Paper published by the Scottish National Party (SNP) in 2013, which stated that an independent Scotland would have an air force equipped with up to 16 air defense aircraft, six tactical transports, utility rotorcraft and maritime patrol aircraft, and be capable of “contributing excellent conventional capabilities” to NATO. Outlining its ambition to establish an air force with an eventual 2,000 uniformed personnel and 300 reservists, the SNP stated the organization would initially be equipped with “a minimum of 12 interceptors in the Eurofighter/Typhoon class, based at Lossiemouth, a tactical air transport squadron, including around six Lockheed Martin C-130J Hercules, and a helicopter squadron”.

 

According to the document, “Key elements of air forces in place at independence, equipped initially from a negotiated share of current UK assets, will secure core tasks, principally the ability to police Scotland’s airspace, within NATO.” An in-country air command and control capability would be established within five years of a decision in favor of independence, it continues, with staff also to be “embedded within NATO structures”.

 

This plan was immediately set into action after the country's independence from Great Britain in late 2017 with the purchase of twelve refurbished Saab JAS 39A Gripen interceptors for Quick Reaction Alert duties and former Swedish Air Force Sk 90A trainers for the nascent Republic of Scotland Air Corps (RoScAC), locally called Saab Sk90A “Iolaire” (Eaglet) T.1. These machines either came from operational Swedish squadrons or were put back into operation from mothballed overstock.

 

All machines were delivered to Scotland in the Swedish all-grey paint scheme, the machines taken from operational service had their original Swedish markings just painted over. The were all exclusively allocated to the newly established Eaglais a' Bhaile Ùir Flying Training School at Kirknewtoun (a former RAF air base) near Edinburgh. In 2019, the RoScAC’s first brand new aircraft arrived in the form of TF-50 “Golden Eagle” fighters from South Korea, which, as multi-role two seaters, complemented the Saab Sk 90’s in the advanced trainer role and also took over air space patrol duties from the Scottish JAS 39.

 

In early 2020, the leasing contract for the Sk 90s with Sweden was changed into a formal purchase, and the Iolaire fleet (as well as the Gripen fighters) gradually received the RoScAC’s new camouflage scheme in grey and green, which had been introduced with the TF-50s.

  

General characteristics:

Crew: two pilots in tandem

Length incl. pitot: 13.0 m (42 ft 8 in) for the A trainer, 13.68 m (44 ft 10 in) for the S variant

Wingspan: 9.94 m (32 ft 7 in)

Height: 4.6 m (15 ft 1 in)

Empty weight: 3,790 kg (8,360 lb)

Max. takeoff weight: 7,500 kg (16,530 lb)

 

Powerplant:

2× Williams International FJ44-4M turbofans without reheat, rated at 16.89 kN (3,790 lbst) each

 

Performance:

Maximum speed: 1,038 km/h (645 mph)

Range: 1,670 km (900 nm)

 

Armament:

No internal gun; five hardpoints for 2,500 kg (5,500 lb) of payload and a variety of ordnance

  

The kit and its assembly:

This whif is a rarity among my builds, since it is an alternative reality model. A fictional air force of an independent Scotland crept into my mind after the hysterical “Brexit” events in 2016 and the former (failed) public vote concerning the independence of Scotland from the UK. However, the situation bore some serious storytelling potential: What would happen to the military if the independence would have actually taken place and British forces had left the country?

 

The aforementioned Scottish National Party (SNP) paper from 2013 is actually real, and I took it as a guideline. Primary focus would certainly be set on air space defense, and the Gripen appeared as a good and not too expensive choice. An advanced trainer would also have been needed, and the Sk 90 (a personal invention and already built as a Swedish and Austrian aircraft) would fulfill a complementary role.

 

A Scottish Sk 90 had been on my agenda since 2016, and now materialized as an addition to my Scottish TF-50 and two Sk 90s (a swedish and an Austrian one). The Saab Sk 90 is basically the 1:72 Kawasaki T-4 from Hasegawa, and since it was to depict an original Sk 90A, formerly operated by Sweden, it was built without modifications. The kit is relatively simple and fit is quite good, even though some PSR was necessary on almost any seam – there are actually two T-4 molds, and this one is the more recent offering.

  

Painting and markings:

I wanted to depict a RoScAC aircraft of the first hour, so I went for a Swedish look with tactical markings from the new operator. Since I already had a Sk 90 in Swedish “Fields & Meadows” camouflage, I decided to go for a Gripen-esque grey-in-grey livery.

Swedish JAS 39 carry a two-tone livery; the upper tone is called pansargrå (tank grey, which is, according to trustworthy sources, very close to FS 36173, Neutral Grey), while the undersides are painted in duvagrå (dove grey, FS 36373, a tone with the confusing name ”High Low Visibility Light Grey”), and the simple pattern was faithfully adapted to the T-4.

 

After checking a lot of Gripen pictures I selected different tones, though, because the colors appear much lighter in real life. I ended up with FS 36231 (Dark Gull Grey, Testors 1740) and RLM 63 (Lichtgrau, Testors 2077) – in combination, these tones come IMHO quite close to the real thing?

After a light black ink wash I emphasized single panels with Humbrol 165 and 147. The cockpit interior was painted with Revell 47 (Mausgrau) while the landing gear became glossy white.

 

For the RoScAC look I added some manually overpainted patches where the former Swedish roundels and tactical markings would have been. As a trainer, I also added orange dayglow markings on the fin and the wings, created with generic decal sheet material (TL Modellbau). The de-icing devices on the wings’ and fin’s leading edges were created with black decal stripes instead of paint, a very tidy and simple method. Decal strips in silver were used on the fin’s rudder and on the flaps. Small things, but they grade the grey model up visually.

 

Another creative field were the national markings: how could fictional Scottish roundels look like, and how to create them so that they are easy to make and replicate (for a full set for this kit, as well as for potential future builds…)? Designing and printing marking decals myself was an option, but I eventually settled for a composite solution which somewhat influenced the roundels’ design, too.

My Scottish roundel interpretation, already used on my RoScAC T-50, consists of a simple blue disk with a white cross – a straightforward solution since it’s different from any other contemporary national marking, esp. the UK roundel, and easy to create from single decal parts. In fact, the roundel discs were die-punched from blue decal sheet, and the cross consists of two thin white decal strips, cut into the correct length with the same stencil, again using generic sheet material from TL Modellbau.

 

Another issue was the potential tactical code, and a small fleet only needs a simple system. Going back to a WWII system with letter codes for squadrons and individual aircraft was one option, but, IMHO, still too complicated. However, for individual aircraft identification I adopted the familiar British single letter aircraft code, and since the RoScAC would certainly not operate too many squadrons, I rather adapted a system similar to the Swedish or Spanish format with a single number representing the squadron – or, in this case a letter, because the fictional Flying Training School would not be a front line unit.

The result is a simple 2-digit code, and I adapted the German system of placing the tactical code on the fuselage, separated by the roundel. Keeping British traditions up I repeated the individual aircraft code letter on the fin, where I also placed a Scottish flag (scratched from the same decal material as the roundels. A small serial number, created from single black letters (once more Tl Modellbau material) was added on the rear fuselage, and, for some local pride, I added a self-printed coat-of-arms of Edinburgh to the air intakes.

 

Finally, after some light weathering, the kit was finally sealed with matt acrylic varnish (Italeri).

  

Creating this whif, based on an alternative historic timeline and with a near future perspective, was fun – and it might spawn more models that circle around this story. A certain future build is a Saab Gripen in RoScAC colors and there might also be an entry level trainer (Shorts Tucano?), some helicopters for the army or SAR duties and maybe a transport aircraft, but not a big one. The foundation has been laid out, now it’s time to fill Scotland’s alternative recent history with detail and hardware proof. ;-)

UBC Modern Buildings & Landscapes walking tour

 

Sculpture, Configuration (1960) by Gerhard Class.

Located on the exterior wall of the Buchanan Building entrance, this sculpture was the winner of a Canada Council contest in 1958. It was a bequest to the University of British Columbia, Vancouver. The patina on the surface is the result of weathering. It is made of welded and soldered sheet copper.

 

In September 2013, Gerry McGeough, the University of BC's architect, conducted our walking tour of the UBC Campus, showing number of restored and rehabilitated modern (international style) buildings and landscapes including the former faculty club. Gerry focused on the cultural landscape approach to heritage conservation that the university has taken.

 

There are many excellent examples on the tour of how the university has carried out successful seismic upgrading while preserving the heritage of the buildings.

Kaleidoscope

 

Pictures of everlasting hope

Ever-changing facets of fantasy

Never-ending combinations of beauty

Different phases of fearless freedom

No fighting to be first

Falling into place graciously

Constantly compiling

Colliding collapsing

Compose configuration

Complete complex condition

Combined conform

Swinging swiftly dancing

Rolling strolling stones

Showing solidarity structure

Forever forming figures

Fascinating phases

Magnificent mazes

Fantastic fickle flowers

Amazing stages

Uncalculated combinations

Incredible invention

Inviting interesting impressions

Never-ending network neatly nestled

Bright bricks building brilliantly

Blend bloom mutable mosaic

Multiple images

Behold: -

Becoming ballet beauty

Repeatedly revolving representing

Remarkable romantic roses

Rapid replace resume result

Renew response

Explain exiting exhibition

Explicit exploration exist

Extreme ecstasy

Enable extended enjoy

“Stones in a scope”

Estimate entertainment: - ENDLESS...

 

by Marina v.d B 1993 (copyright)

DISCLAIMER

Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based historical facts. BEWARE!

  

Some background:

The P-74 "Charger" was a fighter aircraft built by Lockheed for the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF). Its configuration was unusual as it was designed as a twin boom pusher configuration, where the propeller is mounted in the rear of the fuselage, pushing the aircraft forward.

 

The P-74 entered service with the USAAF in late 1944, its conception dated back to 1939 when the U.S. Army Air Corps requested with the Circular Proposal R40C domestic manufacturers to develop high performance fighter types, allowing (even demanding) unusual configurations. Lockheed did not respond immediately and missed the chance to sign a development contract in mid-1940 until early 1941. Twenty-three proposals were submitted to R40C, and after a fist selection of ideas three companies, Vultee with the large XP-54 Swoose Goose, Curtiss with its XP-55 Ascender and Northrop's XP-56 Black Bullet were able to secure prototype contracts.

 

Vultee eventually won the competition, but all these innovative new aircraft suffered from various flaws or development delays, missing various performance goals, so that none ever entered service.

 

In the meantime, Lockheed had been working on the 1939 request in the background on a private venture basis, as it was clear that by 1944 a successor to the company's own P-38 Lightning had to be offered to the USAAC.

The new North American P-51 Mustang was also a sharp competitor, esp. for the Pacific conflict theatre where long range was needed. This role was filled out very well by the P-38, but it was a relatively large and complicated aircraft, so an alternative with a single engine was strived for. Even though jet engines already showed their potential, it was clear that the requested range for the new type could only be achieved through a piston engine.

 

This aircraft became the XP-74, originally christened “Laelaps”, following Lockheed’s tradition, after a female Greek mythological dog who never failed to catch what she was hunting. It was presented as a mock-up to USAAC officials on August 8th 1942 and immediately found sponsorship: with the disappointing results from the XP-54,55 and 56 was immediately ushered into the prototype stage. Its name, though, was rejected, and the more common name “Charger” was adopted.

 

Just like Lockheed’s successful P-38 the XP-74 Charger was designed as a twin-boom aircraft, but it was driven by only a single Packard (License-built Rolls Royce Merlin) V-1650 pusher engine in the aft part of the fuselage. The tail was mounted rearward between two mid-wing booms, with a four-bladed 12-ft propeller between them. The design also included a "ducted wing section" developed by the NACA that enabled installation of cooling radiators and intercoolers in the wing root section.

 

The advantages of a pusher design are that the view forward is unobstructed and armament can be concentrated in the nose, while a major drawback is difficulty in escaping from the aircraft in an emergency, as the pilot could get drawn into the propeller blades. Lockheed deliberated between systems that would eject the pilot, or jettison the propeller or the engine, via a system of explosive bolts. Lockheed eventually installed an early ejector seat which was driven by pressurized air, combined with a mechanism that would blow the canopy off. The system was successfully tested in summer 1943, even though skepticism remained among pilots.

 

Initial armament comprised one 20mm Hispano cannon and four 12.7mm Browning machine guns, the same as in the P-38, but two machine guns were relocated from the nose into the front ends of the tail booms because of the new aircraft’s smaller overall dimensions.

 

The first prototype was ready in October 1943, with a different engine and heavier armor fitted. The second prototype was built to this specification from the start, which would become the serial production standard, the P-74A.

The P-74A used the new V-1650-9 engine, a version of the Merlin that included Simmons automatic supercharger boost control with water injection, allowing War Emergency Power as high as 2,218 hp (1,500 kW). Another change concerned the armament: a longer weapon range was deemed necessary, so the gun armament was changed into four 20mm Hispano cannons, two of the placed in the fuselage nose and one in each tail boom front end. Each gun was supplied with 250 RPG.

 

Alternatively, a nose installment with a single 37mm cannon and two 12.7mm Browning MGs was tested on the first prototype, but this arrangement was found to be less effective than the four 20mm cannons. Another factor that turned this option down was the more complicated logistics demands for three different calibers in one aircraft.

 

The P-74A was ready for service in summer 1944, but its deployment into the Pacific region took until December – the 5th Air Force first units replaced most of its P-38 and also early P-47Ds with the P-74A.These new aircraft had their first clashes with Japanese forces in January 1945.

 

The P-74 was used in a variety of roles. It was designed as an intreceptor against bombers, but its good range and handling at all altitudes made it suitable for tasks like fighter sweeps against enemy airfields, support for U.S. ground forces and protection of sea convoys and transport routes.

While the P-74 could not out-turn the A6M Zero and most other Japanese fighters when flying below 200 mph (320 km/h), its superior speed coupled with a good rate of climb meant that it could utilize energy tactics, making multiple high-speed passes at its target. Also, its focused firepower was deadly to lightly armored Japanese warplanes.

 

Because of its late service introduction, only 305 P-74s were ever produced until the end of hostilities, and they were exclusively used in the Pacific theatre. The P-74's service record shows mixed results, but usually because of misinformation. P-74s have been described as being harder to fly than traditional, single-engined aircraft, but this was because of inadequate training in the first few months of service.

Another drawback was the ejection seat system – it worked basically well, but the tank for the pressurized air turned out to be very vulnerable to enemy fire. Several P-74s literally exploded in midair after cannon fire hits, and this poeblem could only be cured when the tank section behind the cockpit received a more rigid structure and additional armor. Anyway, the P-74 was quickly retired after WWII, as the USAAF focussed on P-47 and P-51.

  

General characteristics

Crew: 1

Length: 10.45 m (34 ft 3 in)

Wingspan: 11.6 m (38 ft 0 in)

Height: 3.97 (13 ft 0 in)

Wing area: 22.2 m² (238.87 ft²)

Empty weight: 3,250 kg (7,165 lb)

Loaded weight: 4,150 kg (9,149 lb)

Max. take-off weight: 4,413 kg (9,730 lb)

 

Powerplant:

1× Packard (License-built Rolls Royce Merlin) V-1650-9 ,

rated at 1,380 hp (1,030 kW) and 2,218 hp (1,500 kW) w. water injection

 

Performance

Maximum speed: 640 km/h (343 knots, 398 mph)

Cruise speed: 495 km/h (265 knots, 308 mph)

Range: 1,105 mi (1,778 km)

Ferry range: 1,330 nmi (1,530 mi, 2,460 km)

Service ceiling: 11,000 m (36,090 ft)

Rate of climb: 15 m/s (2,950 ft/min)

 

Armament

4× 20 mm (0.79 in) Hispano-Suiza HS.404 cannons with 250 RPG

2× hardpoints for up to 2,000 lb (907 kg) of bombs, 6 or 10× T64 5.0 in (127 mm) H.V.A.R rockets

  

The kit and its assembly:

This whif was inspired by a CG rendition of a Saab J21 in a natural metal finish and with (spurious) USAAF markings, probably a skin for a flight simulator. Anyway, I was more or less enchanted by the NMF on the Saab – I had to build one, and it would become the P-74, the only USAF fighter code that had never been used.

 

The kit is the venerable Heller Saab J21A, an “old style” design with raised panel lines. But it is still around and affordable. No big mods were made to the kit during its transition into a USAAF fighter, even though I changed some minor things:

● Main landing gear was completely exchanged through struts from an Airfix A-1 Skyraider and the wheels from a Hasegawa P-51D; thin wire was added as hydraulic tubes

● New propeller blades: instead of the three-bladed original I added four much broader blades with square tips (from a Heller P-51D) to the original spinner

● Different exhaust stubs, which actually belong to a Spitfire Merlin (Special Hobby kit)

● Underfuselage flap was slightly opened

● A pilot figure was added to the nice cockpit

● The gun barrels were replaced with hollow styrene tubes

  

Painting and markings:

NMF was certain, but the rest…? I wanted to have a colorful aircraft, and eventually settled for a machine in the Pacific theatre of operations. When I browsed for options I eventually decided to apply broad black stripes on wings and fuselage, typical 5th Air Force markings that were used e. g. on P-47Ds and P-51Ds.

 

Overall design benchmark for my aircraft is a P-47D-28 of 310th FS/58th FG. The tail would be all white, and the rudder sported red and white stripes, early war insignia. The red nose trim and the deep yellow spinner were taken over from this aircraft, too. The blue individual code number is a personal addition, as well as the nose art, which was puzzled together from a Czech 'Perdubice' Meeting MiG-21 and leftover bits from a Pacific use P-51.

 

The aircraft was basically painted with Aluminum Metallizer (Humbrol 27002) and Polished Steel Metallizer (Modelmaster), and some panels were contrasted with Aluminum (Humbrol 56).

The anti-glare panel in front of the cockpit was painted in Olive Drab (Humbrol 66), the red nose trim with Humbrol 19. The tail was painted with a mix of Humbrol 34 & 196, for a very light grey, and later dry-painted with pure white.

 

The black ID stripes as well as the red and blue rudder trim were not painted, but rather created through decal sheet material (from TL Modellbau), cut to size and shape to fit into their respective places. The tail was a PITA, but for the black stripes this turned out to be very effective and convenient - an experiment that willcertainly see more future use.

 

Cockpit interior was painted in Humbrol 226 (Cockpit Green) and Zinc Chromate Green from Model Master, the landing gear wells received a chrome yellow primer (Humbrol 225) finish.

The landing gear struts were kept in bare Aluminum.

 

For weathering the kit received a rubbing treatment with grinded graphite, which adds a dark, metallic shine and emphasizes the kit’s raised panel lines. Some dry painting with Aluminum was added, too, simulating chipped paint on the leading edges, and on the black ID stripes some dark grey shading was added.

  

A relatively simple whif, but I love how the Saab 21 looks in the unusual, shiny NMF finish - and the USAAF markings with the prominent ID stripes suit it well, even though it looks a bit like a circus attraction now?

Wireless Web Enabled Camera Monitoring Systems.

 

www.monitor-systems-engineering.com/wireless_web_enabled_...

 

Monitor Systems Engineering (Pixavi) are major players in the field of high definition wireless camera based communication, conferencing and monitoring systems. Monitor Systems Engineering SUPPLY, INSTALL and COMMISSION Wireless Web Enabled Camera Monitoring Systems for all key industries; (1) oil and gas, (2) manufacturing, (3) energy, (4) shipping and yards, (5) surveillance, (6) teli-medicine, (7) police, (8) fire fighting, (9) peacekeeping, (10) journalism and (11) architecture.

 

By limiting the need for long and costly cabling and wiring, Monitor Systems Engineering provides a high quality, cost effective wireless solution. Monitor Systems Engineering are able to deliver various wireless camera configurations and solutions for your industry and specific application.

 

Industry Scenarios

 

Wireless Web Enabled Camera Monitoring Systems.

 

(1) oil and gas: The complexity of the offshore oil rigs, often required very dedicated service persons that can quickly determine faults should they arise. However, on some occasions, the call for even greater knowledge resources are required to help recommend a proper service action, in order to prevent a shut down. The Xcaster EX-5000, Ex certified, wireless video conferencing system, is able to combat the toughest of elements and situations.

 

With real-time video and audio, the offshore service persons can seek assistance from onshore knowledge banks, to determine the best and most safest routine to complete the service job.

 

(2) manufacturing: A car manufacturer has a team of 20 crash test experts located all around the world. The manufacturer has built a brand new crash test center at a certain location. Traditionally the experts would travel to this site once a month to perform crash tests and evaluate the results. Today, this crash test center is using Monitor Systems wireless video conferencing products to communicate, document and analyze crash tests. The experts can stay at their fixed location and do not have to spend valuable time and resources on travel.

 

Cut your costs with a system from Monitor Systems Engineering, contact us today for more details about what we can offer your key industry.

 

(3) energy: A power company has several power plants in operation. Often times, service personnel are required to assist in a resource heavy maintenance routine, but due to logistical complications, it just is not possible to travel to the site when the problem arises.

 

Enter the Xcaster ST-5000 and its real-time, video and audio capabilities. Service personnel on site, can send images and audio to other knowledgeable centers for help in order to make critical repair recommendations, so that the equipment and the power plant can continue to operate.

 

(4) shipping and yards: A shipyard in Korea is building a ship for a Norwegian company. The complexity of ship building puts complex demands on communication between the vendor and the customer. By utilizing wireless video conferencing and advanced unified communication, the two parties are able to solve complex problems without having to travel to the site and thereby saves both time and cost.

 

The Xcaster series of products allows for quick and reliable remote collaboration from the field, in order to help make solid and exact build recommendations.

 

(5) surveillance: A large sporting event is planned in one of the world’s biggest countries. The event is a possible target for terrorists and unwarranted activists. To ensure that both safety and intelligence is managed, a comprehensive HD CCTV camera network is installed on the site. The introduction of wireless, battery operated cameras clearly poses benefits in such situations. The Monitor Systems Engineering Xcaster and Xcam products, along with the wireless infrastructure products, provides a very credible ad hoc and temporary surveillance capability. This capability gives event organizers, police and security official a great weapon to combat potential infiltrators.

 

(6) teli-medicine: An emergency vehicle comes to a large accident site which, in turn, puts high demands on the emergency personnel.

 

Luckily, the personnel are equipped with the Xcaster ST-5000 wireless video conferencing devices and can thereby consult with physicians and medical experts virtually anywhere in the world.

 

With high quality (High-Definition) images and video, plus two-way audio, life saving information can quickly be transmitted, in order to provide the field personnel with better information that will help the patient.

 

(7) police: Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) teams must analyze large quantities of information in order to make critical tactical determinations. Often, the large amount of information cannot be processed quickly enough to translate in proper reconnaissance information. However, with the use of live video and real time communication, like with the Xcaster ST-5000, SWAT officers, in conjunction with an operation center, can often be supportive in determining a proper course of action.

 

Live, in-the-field video and audio becomes the best tool to combat the situation!

 

(8) fire fighting: A firefighter is facing considerable risk when entering critical situations.

 

The more information that is available to the fireman, before his/her arrives at a scene, can ultimately mean life and death in some very specific cases.

 

With the rugged Xcaster technology in hand, on-scene fire officials can quickly report, in real-time video and audio, back to command posts, that can quickly offer tactical recommendations, which can translate into a more effective and efficient handling at the incident.

 

(9) peacekeeping: There exists, unfortunately, problematic areas of the world that require dedicated peacekeeping missions. In one example, a new peacekeeping representative runs into a potentially troubling situation while on a basic mission to check on a remote refugee center. As the representative is somewhat inexperienced, he / she can utilize the Xcaster series of products, in order to record or send live video and images from the incident. Officials in regional support centers, can quickly get a full view of the event, and offer the in the field representative, good advice and information on how to handle a potentially very complex situation. Solid and reliable information is a key factor in helping to solve problems and make decisions.

 

(10) journalism: The use of live, in the field correspondence has become increasingly popular in the media business. Traditional broadcasting equipment is becoming outdated, and the faster, more effective Xcaster technology is gaining footing in a very demanding arena of usage. With the Xcaster ST-5000, reporters can quickly access a wireless network to transmit a full, High-Definition quality, live, wireless video conferencing report from the field, when a developing story is unfolding.

 

The video feed can be transferred using Internet access or satellite links and stand ready to go live within seconds.

 

(11) architecture: It is often critical that architects work through problems and issues during the building phase in close coordination with the construction builders themselves. Irregardless of where the building is being built, the architect can use the Xcaster wearable video conferencing technology to connect parties directly in-real time to any situation requiring advanced collaboration. Through efficient and effective wireless video conferencing technology and wireless networking, architects, construction contractors and property developers can now start increasing efficiency, competitiveness and profit margins.

 

Further Reading

 

Oil and Gas Industry:

 

Applications within the oil and gas industry: Monitor Systems Engineering is proving its worthiness in some of the world’s toughest environments. The oil and gas offshore installations have long been deemed a very brutal and unforgiving place of business. With the introduction of Monitor Systems Engineering technology to these areas, large oil and gas companies have gained cost saving attributes and a safer working environment.

 

Over the past eight years, many of the world leading Oil & Gas companies along with Oil & Gas service companies have utilized the Monitor Systems Engineering intrinsically safe video cameras to communicate and collaborate within these harsh conditions. The ATEX Camera with its two way audio and video allows workers in the field to address issues, problems and situations with colleagues anywhere in the world. With its dynamic and revolutionary technology, the new Xcaster EX-5000 high definition wireless video conferencing system enables fast, secure and effective information flow from point to point allowing for discussions or effective multiparty collaboration all in real time.

 

To shut down or not to shut down: The decision to order a shut down is costly. Both time, money and safety elements are on the line. During these situations the Monitor Systems Engineering technology has time and again proven itself as an invaluable tool essential to critical information flow. On many occasions, the live video streams have helped managers, engineers and roughnecks alike to illustrate problems, and to determine quick and responsible paths to corrective measure to quickly have the shut down minimized. On many occasions, shut-downs have all together been completely averted, simply by establishing a video collaboration between parties onshore and offshore, to which colleagues could quickly conclude that issues could otherwise be handled without shutting down production!

  

Refineries: The Xcaster EX-5000 mobile video conferencing system is able to deploy at a moments notice when time is critical. With the ability to operate in hazardous areas both onshore and offshore, this Wi-Fi camera is able to maneuver quickly to various parts of the oil rig or production plant. By using the Monitor Systems Engineering EX-AP-A explosive proof, ATEX certified access points in these ATEX required areas, the Xcaster EX-5000 equipment can immediately begin to send High Definition (HD) quality video via the wireless network to virtually any point in the world. The Xcaster EX5000 is also able to help in cases of E-learning and safety inspection. Essentially: Maximize your resources and minimize travel needs.

 

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Manufacturing Industry:

 

Applications within the manufacturing industry: The manufacturing industry is a very demanding and competitive industry. On occasion, large machinery breaks down and consequently requires immediate servicing in order to keep the production facility operating. However, sometimes key service personnel are not able to respond quickly, due to logistical distances, thereby keeping the machinery at full stop and not producing.

 

The Xcaster ST-5000 has been designed with just such situations in mind. By utilizing the Monitor Systems Engineering wireless video conferencing technology, company officials and service agents can quickly via two-way audio and video, determine what the problem is by being able to actually see the faulty equipment directly from the site, back to wherever in the world the service agents are.

 

Through an established wireless network at the site, the Xcaster ST-5000 can quickly and effectively communicate utilizing IP video streaming to establish a true, in field and live mobile video conferencing collaboration session. The key service agents can thus maintain help to trouble-shoot the faulty machinery and in most cases get the machinery rolling again, so that manufacturing routines are not halted, and profits not lost. In this situation, discussion, diagnoses, and error checking can all be done in real-time!

 

In order to allocate more and dedicated service personnel, management and consultants to various operations, the wireless video conferencing systems by Monitor Systems Engineering, can help create a better forum of resources in which to pool from. In the case of heavy machinery, service companies can outfit a designated service person with the ST-5000 wireless video conferencing system, in order to collaborate and discuss a repair with other company service members that might be located anywhere in the world, in order to discuss a proper course of action for a repair.

 

Safety is also a major concern during repair operations. Service personnel can quickly and efficiently, utilize the real-time audio and video features of the Monitor Systems Engineering ST-5000, discuss an effective service routine with managers far away, to ensure that a safe work routine will done.

 

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Energy Industry:

 

Applications within the energy industry: The commercial energy industry is a very important segment of our global community. Large electrical and generating plants play a large role in our everyday lives. And with today’s focus on the environment, new and reusable energy sources are creating the need for technical and communications equipment and solutions that are environmentally friendly as well. The demands for more and simplistic methods to share work is increasing. The requirement for more information from the field is also on the rise.

 

On many occasions, researchers and scientists alike, require technology tools that allow them to discuss and be present in conferences, meetings and industry seminars to share their opinions and findings. The Monitor Systems Engineering line of wireless video conferencing equipment, including the Xcaster ST-5000 and EX-5000 model, allows these individuals to quickly and effective report directly from distant locations. They are able to share visual images of progresses, send high quality images of various findings, as well as discuss solutions and opinions with other scientists and participants around the world.

 

Monitor Systems Engineering with it solid knowledge regarding products designed to operate and function in demanding environments, has created a line of products that include the very latest wireless 802.11n technology and HD video. We have implemented them into a tough and durable package, that offers live mobile video conferencing capabilities, all in High-Definition (HD) quality images.

 

Large power plants rely on a high level of safety and predictability. The increasing number of power plants puts high demand on expertise and skillful understanding on how to address continual concerns on maintaining the optimal running conditions in these large facilities. With the Monitor Systems Engineering line of wireless, mobile video conferencing solutions, technicians, plant project managers and experts can maintain stabile communications from the field to any location in the world.

 

The Monitor Systems Engineering technology bridges distance, creates efficiencies and allows for real-time collaboration, so that knowledge can reach those areas of need.

 

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Shipping and Yard Industry:

 

Applications within Shipping and the Yard Industry: The commercial shipping industry requires precise and dedicated information to insure that cargo and ships adhere to logistical conditions and time requirements. The Xcaster ST5000 and EX5000 mobile video conferencing systems provide a stabile communication platform to provide shipping companies a method to review and check the status of loading and off loading operations and cargo registration in remote ports of the world. Featuring Wi-Fi based technology, crews are able to stream live video, while discussing specific load shipping with agents and customer alike, sometimes located continents away.

 

Ship Yards: are increasing utilizing parts and services from various locations around the world. Actual ship construction can take place in Norway, ship design in the United Kingdom and hull manufacturing in Poland. The key to a successful building platform is to ensure that all these parties are continual updated on work progress and that eventual delays and construction circumstances are reported promptly.

 

Introduction of the Monitor Systems Engineering Xcaster line of wireless video conferring cameras, has brought about a revolution in information gathering and information allocation to this industry If managers in Norway, require visual inspection of hull assembly in Poland, the Xcaster mobile video equipment can quickly be engaged to walk inside and outside the hull sections in Poland, to provide a real-time, IP video conference to any and all people in the organization, that need this information. By utilizing network video in this regard, all parties save travel time, and can otherwise gain useful knowledge from the comfort of their respected place of work, all without having to leave their office.

 

Transportation and storage: In locating items for transport or discussing load operations on ships in harbors, the Monitor Systems Engineering Xcaster series of wireless video conferencing technologies, helps transportation agencies by being able communicate with other staff members on or off location. Transport personnel can access files, talk with other crew members and discuss loading operations by way of high quality audio, IP video and data to an array of different groups.

 

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Surveillance Industry:

 

Application within the Surveillance Industry: Dependable surveillance equipment is a critical element of the total security efforts each company or organization puts forward to protect life and property. The ability to view, survey and detect an activity before a crime or intrusion is committed, saves costs towards theft and large scale property damage.

 

As a CCTV manufacturer, Monitor Systems Engineering can afford a company or organization at any level affordable and high-quality wireless CCTV solutions. Monitor Systems Engineering can custom design our security cameras to fit many types of physical and environmental settings. Monitor Systems Engineering designs its security camera systems to comply and interact with all types and standards of company network parameters.

 

As a leader in developing products associated with wireless technologies, Monitor Systems Engineering has many years of experience which is reflected in its line products and solutions. Monitor Systems Engineering has delivered its wireless CCTV solutions to military organizations, the oil & gas industry, security agencies, and energy industry to name a few. The Monitor Systems Engineering wireless security camera solution has been proven in many challenging circumstances, and continues to prevail as a high performance and reliable system for CCTV needs.

 

Rugged, corrosive resistant material and proven High Definition camera technology create a solid wireless CCTV security camera solution that is effective to combat the very toughest of environmental circumstances. By limiting the need for long and costly cabling and wiring, Monitor Systems Engineering can position a high quality security camera system to fit the needs of many different conditions.

 

Monitor Systems Engineering is able to deliver various wireless security camera configurations and solutions, dependent on the breadth and scope of what each individual customer requires. Additionally, Monitor Systems Engineering has the capability to apply solar panel driven wireless technology, should this be of interest.

 

Today’s world is becoming increasingly dependant on solid and well functioning surveillance technology. The increasing threats of terrorist groups and criminal activity are putting high demands on video quality. Monitor Systems Engineering has the skill and knowledge to present a full and dedicated wireless CCTV security camera solution for your organization today.

 

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Tele-medicine Industry:

 

Applications within Telemedicine Industry: Emergencies are critical periods, when seconds count. Quick, decisive action is required to save lives. Unfortunately, some accidents do happen in very remote locations, allowing only critical first aid to victims before extrication to a medical facility sometimes hours away. With the Monitor Systems Engineering Xcaster ST-5000 series of High Definition wireless video conferencing cameras, medics treating wounded person have an innovative tool at their disposal to help in their efforts.

 

By utilizing IP video, audio and data communication, the remote medical assistance groups are offered a way in which doctors, nurses and other medical personnel can be readily available to help at any time, regardless of location or time zone.

 

With the essential video collaboration link between field and hospital established, the Xcaster ST-5000 operating on SIP, H323 protocols, provides doctors at the hospital quality still images, and high quality High Definition (HD) video streaming to ascertain the nature of injuries, thus allowing them to prescribe a course of treatment to the medics in the field.

 

Real-time, Wi-Fi capable, the Monitor Systems Engineering Xcaster ST-5000 wireless video conferencing system allows for a visual and audio window between the remote location and the medical staff far away. Ultimately, the medics in the remote location, actually become “doctors in the field” as they can quickly gain strategic treatment recommendations by using the powerful visual medium and discussion, so that the wounded patient can receive the very best treatment for their injuries before arriving at the central hospital.

 

Quick, effective and reliable information can save lives. The Monitor Systems Engineering Xcaster ST5000 can help bridge the gap that time and distance often brings to critical situations.

 

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Law Enforcement / Security Industry:

 

Applications within Law Enforcement / Security Industry: Police, intelligence officers, Law enforcement officers and security personnel are often times presented with many hazardous circumstances and situations which challenge their training and skill on a daily bases. Monitor Systems Engineering video collaboration technology can help give officers at every level an advantage, by utilizing real-time audio and IP based, live video streams during emergency situations to attain more insightful information to ensure that a proper course of action is taken.

 

In the event of a crisis situation, officers in the field utilizing the Xcaster ST-5000 are able to report, in real-time, back to command central, so that quick and precise planning and action can be taken. Through a dedicated Wi-Fi network, the Monitor Systems Engineering Xcaster wireless video collaboration tool can bring the situation to virtually anyone, anywhere in the world. The video streams are encrypted with highly advanced algorithms like AES.

 

With a greater visual and audio overview of the situation, officers stand a much greater chance of successfully ending a potentially tragic situation. Trough both a dedicated audio and visual medium, officers can quickly communicate back to commanders that can, in turn respond with tactical recommendations, thus creating a safer, more well prepared operation.

 

Monitor Systems Engineering can also help during training sessions. Officers allocated with the Xcaster ST-5000 wearable video conferencing system, can be educated on tactical methods from instructors that might otherwise be sitting in central locations somewhere else in the city, country or world.

 

Utilizing the stabile 802.11 abgn network standards, the Monitor Systems Engineering Xcaster wireless video conferencing technology brings reconnaissance routines, anti-terror training and skillful insights to a new level. Via powerful live video stream, over IP, the Xcaster technology delivers secure and tactical information to the sources that can help!

 

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Fire Fighting Industry:

 

Applications within Fire Fighting Industry: Firefighters often times arrive at a critical emergency scene with little actual knowledge of the situation they have been requested to respond to. A reported small contained structure fire at the time they leave the firehouse can quite easily escalate to a full, very complex, multi structural building fire by the time they arrive at the scene.

 

In order to help determine the best logistical approach to battle the fire, firefighters and on scene fire officials can quickly transmit live IP video and images from the scene, back to commanders ready to assist with instructions, guidance or suggestions on how to best combat the fire. The revolutionary Monitor Systems Engineering Xcaster EX-5000 wireless video conferencing technology creates a running forum of up-to-date, real-time information for all the fire fighting personnel to join. Time is critical, and the more accurate and secure the information is, the better organized the firefighters will be when they engage the fire itself.

 

The explosive proof, Monitor Systems Engineering Xcaster EX5000, is designed and certified to tackle harsh and unforgiving environments. And as the level of on-scene activity grows, and as temperatures rise, the Xcaster is able to deliver High Definition (HD) live and still images to fire command. In return, command officials can afford firefighters crucial tactical recommendations that otherwise create an advantage in how best to contain and resolve the emergency.

 

The Xcaster technology can also be recommended for use at fire training academies. Individual fire cadets, equipped with the Xcaster mobile video conferencing unit, allow training officials to monitor step by step maneuvers by the cadets and thus be able to quickly afford them insightful knowledge during the training exercise, which will ultimately serve them well once they are in the field in real operations.

 

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Military Industry:

 

Wireless Video Streaming within Military Industry: With the increased demand for peacekeeping missions, so is the demand for knowledge resources to help control, inform and delegate materials and mission critical information to those troubled areas.

 

Monitor Systems Engineering has a wide variety of products and solutions, that can help facilitate even the most troubling of situations, within the most demanding of environments. Should the need call for high-quality, mobile, wireless video conferencing, or durable weather proof antennas that confirm to toughest criteria, Monitor Systems Engineering has the solution to help the cause.

 

With the Xcaster ST-5000 mil spec. wireless video conferencing system, peacekeeping forces and aid workers can freely move within difficult terrain, maneuver through brush and obstacles, to report in real-time to operation centers, quickly and efficiently. With High-Definition image quality, the Monitor Systems Engineering Xcaster ST-5000, transfers the detailed images straight from the field, thought a dedicated network, back to the operations centers.

 

Should a dedicated wireless network not be readily available, the Monitor Systems Engineering Xcaster ST-5000 has a built-in flash memory allowing it to function as a rugged mobile video camera, as well as a still image camera, producing high quality video and pictures. Once the mission reporting in the field is complete, the mission worker can bring the Xcaster back the operations center, and upload all the video and images, and stream this information directly back to those decision makers, responsible for managing the mission. With the image information in hand, clear and decisive measures can then be taken as to how to handle a particular situation.

 

Should the demand require real-time, video streaming from the field, Monitor Systems Engineering can create custom wireless network infrastructures for very demanding customers, in demanding environmental conditions. The Monitor Systems Engineering EX-ANT-B antenna is one of a handful of wireless infrastructure products that are constructed to handle extreme conditions, poor weather and demanding environments. Designed principally for the Oil and Gas industry, the explosive proof, intrinsically safe, EX-ANT-B antenna has proven that it is very much able to work in other harsh and demanding environments, outside the bounds of this particular industry in order to help create a dedicated wireless network. The EX-ANT-B antenna can be affixed to a number of standard access points available on the market. Connected, the rugged EX-ANT-B antenna and access point deliver a dedicated wireless environment to which the Xcaster ST-5000 or EX-5000 can freely operate in order to report live and wirelessly from field.

 

As the situation in a troubled area intensifies, so does the need for constructive and meaningful information. Monitor Systems Engineering presents several levels of equipment and technology that can significantly help to keep workers, officials and commanders abreast of the situation, in real-time, in full HD image quality and in constant dialog. Anytime, anywhere the situation may call.

 

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Journalism / Media News Industry:

 

Applications within Journalism / Media News Industry: News organizations associated with print and visual media reporting depend on quick and reliable facts to ensure that their reports generate the clearest and most concise information possible. The Monitor Systems Engineering Xcaster technology allows local, nation and global news agencies to report directly from the field, in real time, through both real-time video and audio streaming directly to network television or internet portals on their respected websites.

 

The Monitor Systems Engineering Xcaster ST-5000, with its ability to operate as both a Wi-Fi still image camera or powerful video recorder, can otherwise quickly engage the wireless network (802.11 abgn) transferring into a real-time video streaming system to be able to report all the stored images or video segments directly to the network.

 

Should the reporters find themselves in the field covering an important news story, the Xcaster offers dependable, proven technology to help transfer images and dialog directly from the area or event. Sporting events, weather reports and critical news updates, can all benefit from using the revolutionary Xcaster technology.

 

Generating interest and opinion are critical factors in news content. The Xcaster gives the journalist a significantly greater opportunity to process these facts, allowing for more complete and accurate reporting.

 

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Architecture / Building Industry:

 

Applications within Architecture / Building Industry: Architects and civil construction engineers require a solid understanding of their work sites in order to correctly place, build and detail structures. In coordination with its customers and third party contractors, the architect or property developer can hold live, in the field, video conference meetings in order to gain insightful knowledge on the project. Quick, efficient and useful feedback from the customer, construction manager and project official are essential in order that the optimal building criterion is realized.

 

In today’s modern communications world, wireless networks are becoming more common and prominent, even on building construction sites. By engaging the wireless 802.11 abgn network at the construction site, the architect can deploy a Monitor Systems Engineering Xcaster ST-5000, wireless video conferencing system to communicate with live IP video, real-time video steaming and full duplex audio to his/her clients virtually anywhere in the world. The Xcaster ST-5000 mobile video conferencing technology, can also allow architects to take high quality still images, as well as High Definition (HD) quality mobile video for archiving and storage on the Monitor Systems Engineering Xdrive.

 

It is often critical that architects work through problems and issues during the building process phases in close coordination with the builders themselves. Through efficient and effective wireless video conferencing, architects can establish solutions and criteria that are critical to the construction progress.

 

In essence, as buildings and construction routines become more complex, architects on location take advantage of the using a mobile video system by having the ability to send and receive, high quality HD video, high resolution still images and collaborate on specific project tasks from remote locations to central facilities or other locations situated elsewhere in the world.

 

The increasing presence in the construction industry of third party contractors with very narrow and specialized fields of know-how, requires a common, clear and thorough understanding of the work site.

 

Building construction: It is often critical that architects work through problems and issues during the building process phases in close coordination with the builders themselves. Regardless of where the building is being built, the architect can utilize the Monitor Systems Engineering Xcaster wearable video conferencing technology, to connect parties directly in real time at any situation requiring advanced collaboration dud ring the building process. Through efficient and effective wireless video conferencing technology and wireless networking, construction contractors and property developers can now start increasing efficiency, competitiveness and profit margins.

The new configuration to survive China

 

Triumphs:

1. BB (BES) + Wifi is the best way to go through the Great Firewall

2. The B5 organizer is an excellent to keep all of the chargers in one place

 

Several mistakes:

1. I should have brought a thermos instead of clear Nalgene. Hot water is given out liberally.

2. Less meds, I should have brought more, especially sore throat meds.

3. Clear folder, I need to bring a clear folder for the papers.

  

St Peter and St Paul, East Harling, Norfolk

 

With its aisles, clerestory, porch and chancel, St Peter and St Paul is a textbook example of its century, although there are a number of curiosities that add even more interest. The vestry on the north side of the chancel, for example, which was once a shrine chapel, retains its image niche on its eastern face. And there are more image niches, these with elaborate foliage pedestals, in the buttresses of the tower; everything is topped off by a lead and timber fleche which was apparently the model for the one at St Peter Mancroft in Norwich, a church which has several features in common with this one.

 

The tower is a delight, the buttressing and pinnacles exactly in proportion to make it appear to rise like a fairy castle from the ground. The south porch, by contrast, is, despite its flushwork, rather austere, a result of its rebuilding early in the 19th century before the ecclesiological movement took hold. All in all, this is as good as 15th century rebuilding gets, the money coming thanks to Anne Harling having no less than three husbands who all wanted to spend as little time in purgatory as possible.

 

You step down into a wide space which, on a dull day, can be rather gloomy. Although inevitably heavily restored by the Victorians, St Peter and St Paul does not have that depressingly anonymous urban feel you so often find in churches of this size. This is partly because the beautiful parclose screen in the south aisle partitions off so much space, creating a sense of rooms within rooms, altering the way your eyes are inevitably drawn to the east. The rood screen must have been vast here; its dado survives at the west end, a deeply traceried affair with its features presented in carving rather than painting.

 

When the rood screen was in its proper place, to move from the nave into the chancel must have been like stepping from darkness into light. This is because of the feature that makes East Harling famous, the vast east window with its 15th century glass. After St Peter Mancroft it is the best collection in Norfolk. Unusually, the provenance of the glass is fairly well-documented: we can be fairly certain that it came from this church originally. Still present after the Reformation, it was removed by the Harling family to the Hall in the early 17th century. They may have been Laudians wanting to preserve it from the intentions of the puritans, or merely thought it would look nice in their dining hall; whatever, we know that shortly before Francis Blomefield visited here in the 1730s it was returned to the church and set in its present configuration.

 

In 1939, when war threatened, it was removed again, being reset just before Cautley visited in the early 1950s. There are parts of at least three sequences here, two of which were almost certainly in the east window originally, and one which almost certainly wasn't.

 

Essentially, the window contains two rosary sequences; the Joyful Mysteries of the Blessed Virgin, which include the Annunciation, the Nativity and the Assumption, and the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Blessed Virgin, which include the Crucifixion and the Deposition. However, this is open to interpretation, as we shall see. There is also the figure of St Mary Magdalene, which may once have been associated with a nave altar, and would have been located in a window there.

 

The five lights contain four rows of panels, making twenty altogether.

 

Top row:

I. Annunciation: Mary at her prayer desk. Gabriel, crowned and haloed, with a sceptre of lilies, kneels in supplication.

II. Visitation: Elizabeth, hooded to show her age, places her hand on Mary's pregnant belly.

III. Nativity: Two midwives look on. The infant in the manger is rayed; a horned cow gazes in awe.

IV. Adoration of the Shepherds: One holds a lamb, one plays pipes. A third appears to offer a fleece.

V. Adoration of the Magi: Two of the wise men gauge each others' reactions as the third offers his gift.

 

Second row:

VI: collection of fragments.

VII: Presentation in the Temple: Joseph carries the doves, Mary offers the child to Simeon. Anna is not shown.

VIII: The Finding in the Temple: Head covered, Mary bursts in among the men to find her son teaching.

IX: The Wedding at Canaa: Christ, seated at the top table, blesses a chicken and a ham. Mary directs the servant.

X: collection of fragments.

 

Third row:

XI: Mary of Magdala: Mary holds her long hair ready to anoint Christ's feet. Probably not from this window originally.

XII: The Betrayal at Gethsemane: Judas kisses Christ; Peter cuts off the ear of the high priest's servant.

XIII: Crucifixion: Mary swoons in John's arms.

XIV: Deposition from the cross: The pieta. Tears spring from Mary's eyes.

XV: Assumption of the Blessed Virgin: Mary is assumed bodily into heaven.

 

Bottom row:

XVI: Donor: Probably Robert Wingfield, second husband of Anne Harling.

XVII: Resurrection: Christ steps fully clothed from the tomb. Unusually, the soldiers are awake.

XVIII: Ascension of Christ: Mary, surrounded by disciples, watches as her son ascends to heaven.

XIX: Descent of the Holy Spirit: Mary, surrounded by disciples, receives the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

XX: Donor: Probably William Chamberlain, first husband of Anne Harling.

 

Nowadays, we tend to think of the rosary as consisting of three sequences of five mysteries each, but in the late middle ages things were much more flexible, and rosary sequences often consisted of seven mysteries. The Glorious Mysteries sequence, of which the Assumption is now a part, is a later development, and the two adorations shown here are subsumed into a single mystery. There are a couple of images here that don't quite fit; the Wedding at Canaa is obviously a Marian text, and yet is not traditionally a rosary subject. Similarly the Betrayal, the only one of the images not to feature Mary. I wonder if what we have here are parts of two separate sequences, a Marian sequence of mysteries (I-V, VII-IX, XV), and a Passion sequence (XII-XIV, XVII-XIX). They are both clearly the work of the same workshop, and Mary is always shown with the same face and dress, but this would not preclude them from being two sequences.

 

Why were they here at all? We need to get away from thinking of such things as a 'poor man's bible', the need for which was superseded at the Reformation. These were devotional objects, designed to be used as meditations while praying and saying the rosary. They were created in the 15th century, a time when the mind of the Church was fiercely concentrated on asserting orthodox Catholic doctrine in the face of local superstitions and abuses. As such, they were anathema to the reformers, and were later elsewhere destroyed for being superstitious, not for being superfluous. An 18th century antiquarian mind, ignorant of the nature of Catholic devotion, might easily mix the two sequences into historical order, and possibly misunderstand the Assumption (obviously, as Mary reappears two images on at the Ascension, it is out of order). I wonder what they thought it was?

 

A couple of other things about the east window that you shouldn't miss. Firstly, everywhere you look there are tiny baskets - Mortlock calls them 'frails', and tells us that they were simple rush baskets used by workmen to carry tools. Also, though not in such profusion, there are bodices. These symbols are repeated elsewhere in the church in stone on tombs, and as such must be symbols of the Harling family.

 

Another symbol is high up on the north side, a red squirrel. Curiously, this also appears in the painting A Lady with a Squirrel and a Starling by Hans Holbein, now thought to be a portrait of Anne Lovell - the squirrel is a symbol of the Lovell family, who took over the local manor here from the Harlings in the 16th century, and the starling represents Ea- well, you guess.

 

In July 2006, Chris Harrison and I came across

some more glass from East Harling in the Norfolk County Archaeologist Service archive at Gressenhall. It was probably removed from the church for safety in 1939, and then not replaced, possibly ending up at the museum of church art in Norwich at St Peter Hungate, disappearing into storage when that closed in 1993. It depicts a Bishop and Christ seated in Majesty, and the lozenges in between carry the telltale frails and bodices familiar from other glass within the church.

 

Within the screen is a large chapel, containing two major tombs. One is in alabaster, an early 17th century memorial to Sir Thomas and Lady Alice Lovell (remember the squirrel?) who died in 1604. The piece is good - too good, its 1950s restoration gives it a Festival of Britain air. Their symbols lie at their feet - his a magnificent peacock, hers a gruesome Saracen scalp held aloft.

 

The other appears to be a composite. It lies to the east, and the two effigies are clearly not from this tomb; they simply don't fit. They are supposed to be Robert Harling, died Paris in 1435, and his wife Dame Joan. Neither are buried here - she is at Rushford near Thetford, he is in some corner of a foreign field that is forever French schoolchildren on picnics excitedly tugging old thighbones from the soil - but in any case it is the trimmings of the tomb rather than the effigies that are most of interest, including a pelican in her piety and one that is almost a lily crucifix.

 

On the north side of the chancel is a fine tomb with brass inlays - the brasses now gone. Not as magnificent as either of the two previously mentioned, it is actually the most significant, as this is where you'll find Anne Harling, wife of the serial rebuilders of this church. Look out for those flails again.

 

What more? 17th century Lovells (remember the squirrel) have in-yer-face memorials either side of the sanctuary - that to the north curiously with no inscription. There are hatchments, remains of a wallpainting that are too indistinct to interpret (but may be seven works of mercy), a good set of royal arms, medieval heads, curious 19th century bench ends of a lion and a wild man, heraldic misericords, a Dec font - well, come and see for yourself. You know you want to.